Anredera cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis

Anredera cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis; Photo by Nhi Chau

Latin Name: Anredera cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis; Family Basellaceae.

Synonym Name: Anredera cordifolia subsp. gracilis (Miers) Xifreda & Argimón; Boussingaultia cordata Spreng.; Boussingaultia cordifolia Ten.; Boussingaultia gracilis Miers; Boussingaultia gracilis f. pseudobaselloides Hauman; Boussingaultia gracilis var. pseudobaselloides (Hauman) L.H.Bailey       

English Name: Vineyam, Mignonettevine

Description:    Vines twining, with thick, hardy rhizome. Leaves shortly petiolate; leaf blade ovate to subcordate, 2-6 × 0.5-5.5 cm, thinly fleshy, base rounded or cordate, apex acute, producing small axillary tubercles (bulbils). Racemes many flowered; rachis pendent, thin, 7-25 cm. Bracts not longer than pedicel, narrow, persistent. Pedicel 2-3 mm, receptacular tip cupular, flowers shed from here. Lower bracteoles broadly triangular, hyaline, apex acute, persistent; upper bracteoles greenish white, flattened, orbicular to broadly elliptic, shorter than perianth. Flowers ca. 5 mm in diam., fragrant. Perianth white, inflexed, patent in anthesis; segments ovate or oblong to elliptic, 3 × 2 mm, apex blunt. Stamens white; filaments reflexed at apex in bud, spreading in anthesis. Style white, split to 3 stigmatic arms, each with 1 club-shaped or broadly elliptic stigma. Utricle and seed not seen. Fl. Jun-Oct.

Part Used: Medical part: dried mature fruits. Chinese name: Tengsanqi.

Harvest & Processing: Collected after bulbils forming, removed foreign matters, used fresh or sun-dried.

Chemistry: Underground parts contain larreagenin, 3β-hydroxy-30-noroleana-12, 19-dien-28-oic acid, ethyl-3β-hydroxy -30-noroleana-12, 19-dien-28-oate and ursolic acid.

Properties & Actions: Bitter, warm. Tonifying kidney, removing stasis and dispersing swelling.

Indications & Usage: Arthralgia spasm of waist and knees, weakness after diseases, injuries from falls, fracture. Internal: decocting, 30-60g; or stewed with chicken or lean meat. External use: appropriate amount, triturated for application.

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