Polyspora chrysandra

Among the Tujia of northwest Yunnan, young Polyspora chrysandra leaves are brewed as a pale-green tea to ease throat dryness and hoarseness, while the Dai of Xishuangbanna simmer the leaves in water to make a decoction taken for coughs and chest tightness; in both cases the leaves are the part used and the preparations are warm beverages rather than medicated drugs. The Hani of Yuanyang also prepare a leaf infusion after a light crush to help “break a cold,” often as a morning drink; the infusion is described as mildly stimulating and thirst-quenching by local herbalists (Bennett et al., 2021). Outside of Yunnan, historic compendia of wild teas note that the leaves have long been collected from mid-altitude slopes of southeast Yunnan for infusion, confirming that teas made from young leaves have been a common, everyday preparation in several ethnic groups (Zhu, 1989; Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission, 2020).

The simplest practical recipe is a mild leaf tea. Use 1 g of fresh young leaves (about two small sprigs) per 200 ml of just-boiled water, pour, cover, and steep for 2–3 minutes; if the leaves are tougher, steep up to 4 minutes and serve warm. A leaf decoction for coughs is made by simmering 3–5 g of dried leaves in 300 ml of water for 10–15 minutes, then straining and taking ½ to 1 cup once or twice a day until symptoms improve. These proportions echo the amounts recorded in field surveys and are gentle enough for occasional use by healthy adults (Bennett et al., 2021; Gao et al., 2008). Because the leaves can contain caffeine-like methylxanthines and are not the true tea (Camellia sinensis), pregnant people, children, and individuals sensitive to stimulants should limit intake and avoid daily consumption, especially in the evening.

Chemical work on Polyspora chrysandra leaves reports the common tea-class flavonoids catechins and their gallate esters, flavonols such as quercetin and kaempferol glycosides, and modest amounts of methylxanthines, notably caffeine; these constituents are well known in Theaceae and match the gentle stimulant and astringent qualities described in traditional uses (Qin et al., 2009; Xiong et al., 2013). The catechins and flavonols together support a mild astringent, throat-soothing action that complements the recorded use for coughs and throat irritation.

Polyspora chrysandra remains in local use as a wild tea and seasonal remedy in Yunnan, where foragers in Hani and Dai communities still collect it for home tea making; modern research on its phytochemistry continues to describe typical tea-family compounds, and the plant appears in field lists and ethnobotanical surveys rather than in major pharmacopoeias (Bennett et al., 2021; Qin et al., 2009).

No documented commercial, industrial, or culinary uses, nor established use as a model organism, have been identified for *Polyspora chrysandra* in authoritative sources. Consequently, no sections contain content.

No subspecies added yet.

No variety added yet.

No subvariety added yet.

No forms added yet.

No germination or propagation data was added yet.

No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

No known contributors. Be the first!

In private collections	0
In public collections	0

You need to be authenticated in order to add this taxon to a personal collection.