Stephania tetrandra
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| Stephania tetandra | ||||||||||||||
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| Stephania tetranda S. Moore[1] |
Stephania tetrandra is a species of flowering plant in the family Menispermaceae. It is a herbaceous perennial vines growing to around 4 m tall, with a large, woody caudex. The leaves are arranged spirally on the stem, and are peltate, with the leaf petiole attached near the centre of the leaf.
Stephania tetrandra, is among the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is called han fang ji (漢防己, "Chinese fang ji"). Other plants named fang ji are sometimes substituted for it. Notable among these is guan fang ji (廣防己, "broad fang ji"), Aristolochia fanchi. This plant tends to contain toxic amounts of aristolochic acid and can cause renal failure and even death; it is used in TCM only with great caution.
[edit] See also
- Chinese herbology 50 fundamental herbs
[edit] References
- ^ Stephania tetrandra information from NPGS/GRIN. Retrieved on 2008-02-13.
