Common Name:

General Information

Siphonostegia chinensis is an annual to biennial plant growing from a branched rootstock. It produces a single (rarely more), erect, rigid stem that is either unbranched or sparsely branched in the upper part. The plant generally grows 15 - 80cm tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for use as a medicine and cosmetic ingredient, perhaps occasionally also as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - Russian Far East, China, Japan, Korea.

Habitat

Meadows and grassy slopes in hills and low mountains[]. Dry mountain slopes, forests, inundated meadows, in stony soils, in pebbly and sandy places in valleys of rivers and lakes; at elevations from 800 - 3,400 metres[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.50 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

We have very little information on this species but it should succeed as a spring-sown annual in much of the temperate zone. See the plants native habitat for ideas on its cultivation needs.

Edible Uses

Fruit[]. The seed capsule is about 15mm long and 2.5mm wide[]. No more details are given.

Medicinal

The stem and leaves are used as a heart stimulant, for the treatment of amenorrhoea and to stop bleeding after wounds[].
The plant has traditionally been used to treat icterohepatitis, dysuria, and external bleeding[].

Other Uses

An extract of the whole plant is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin conditioner[].

Research has shown that the plant contains acteoside, isoacteoside, and crenatoside, and these extracts could be potentially used as new natural active ingredients for whitening cosmetics[].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in situ.