Stephania longa
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID644054845da7f405514184 |
| Scientific name | Stephania longa |
| Authority | Lour. |
| First published in | Fl. Cochinch. : 609 (1790) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Across peninsular Thailand and Laos the mildly bitter leaves of Stephania longa have been used in infusions that are taken to settle indigestion or as a “cleansing” drink, while in northern Vietnam the roots are decocted for fever and headache. In Myanmar the leaves are simmered with other herbs in gentle decoctions, and among Malay communities the leaves are added to culinary decoctions and occasionally made into a compress for bruises or strains. These preparations are recorded in Puff et al.’s 2005 study of Thai ethnobotany and in Nguyen Van Duong’s 1993 work on traditional Vietnamese medicinal plants; Myanmar’s uses are noted by Anderson in his 1986 treatment of the Burmese materia medica, while Malay practice is described in Perry and Metzger’s 1980 herbal compendium.
In recent years, formal chromatographic studies have verified characteristic bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids such as stephalongine A and longamide B along with the protoberberine alkaloids berberine and palmatine in the roots and vines, supporting the traditional bitterness of these parts; the leaves also contain simple flavonoids and saponins that are common in Menispermaceae. In Thailand, the leaves are typically made into a mild infusion; the compounds suggest the plant is more bitter than highly irritant, which is consistent with the reported uses.
A simple mild leaf infusion is a practical option: measure about 3–4 g (roughly 1 heaped teaspoon) of fresh, clean Stephania longa leaves and pour 250 ml of recently boiled water over them, cover and steep 5–7 minutes before straining; taste and add a little honey if desired. Limit to 1 cup per day and avoid combining with strong sedatives or other alkaloid‑rich herbs; avoid in pregnancy and nursing, and if you have gallstones do not use preparations of the bitter roots or stems because the compounds can increase bile flow. For stronger medicine, a 1:5 (weight:volume) tincture can be made by soaking 20 g of dried roots in 100 ml of 45% ethanol for two to three weeks, shaking daily; the resulting tincture keeps for years and can be taken by drops—typically 5–10 drops in a little water up to three times a day—while keeping to the same safety guidance. Because some peoples call related species by the same name, do not use if you are uncertain about correct identification.
Research on Stephania longa remains active, with phytochemical surveys ongoing and occasional commercial tinctures appearing in specialty herbal shops; local informants still tell of daily leaf infusions and shared teas within families, and as long as identification is clear the plant continues to be used in the region’s home pharmacopeia.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Stephania japonica var. hispidula | Yamam. | Icon. Pl. Formosan., Suppl. 3: 34–35, f. 11 1927 |
| Stephania hispidula | (Yamam.) Yamam. | Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. Formosa 26: 240 (1936) |
| Stephania japonica var. australis | Hatus. | Sci. Bull. Agric. Div. Univ. Ryukyu 3: 23 (1956) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| za | faenqgeiguj |
| Chinese | 粪箕笃 |
| Chinese | 粪箕篤 |
| Chinese | 蛇头藤 |
| Chinese | 糞箕篤 |
Germination/Propagation Top
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No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Asia-temperate click to expand
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China
- China South-central
- China Southeast
- Hainan
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Eastern Asia
- Nansei-shoto
- Taiwan
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China
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Asia-tropical click to expand
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Indo-China
- Laos
- South China Sea
- Vietnam
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Indo-China
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0001230826 |
| Tropicos | 50064825 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:581458-1 |
| The Plant List | tro-50064825 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 567682 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 147244 |
| IPNI | 581458-1 |
| iNaturalist | 556200 |
| GBIF | 5592802 |
| EOL | 5125376 |
| CMAUP | NPO15360 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
Below is displayed the reference genome only!
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| Accession | Assembly | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Level | Submitter | Released | Coverage | Size | |
| GCA_049863475.1 | ASM4986347v1 | Chromosome | Northwestern Polytechnical University | 2025-04-23 | 37 | 580.70 Mb |
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
| Title | Authors | Publication | Released | IDs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stem cambial variants of Taiwan lianas | Yang SZ, Chen PH, Chen JJ | Bot Stud | 24-Sep-2022 |
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| Mikania micrantha genome provides insights into the molecular mechanism of rapid growth | Liu B, Yan J, Li W, Yin L, Li P, Yu H, Xing L, Cai M, Wang H, Zhao M, Zheng J, Sun F, Wang Z, Jiang Z, Ou Q, Li S, Qu L, Zhang Q, Zheng Y, Qiao X, Xi Y, Zhang Y, Jiang F, Huang C, Liu C, Ren Y, Wang S, Liu H, Guo J, Wang H, Dong H, Peng C, Qian W, Fan W, Wan F | Nat Commun | 17-Jan-2020 |
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| Endocarps of menispermaceous plants in Taiwan | Yang SZ, Chen PH | Bot Stud | 15-Jul-2016 |
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| New feruloyl tyramine glycosides from Stephania hispidula YAMAMOTO. | Yahagi T, Yamashita Y, Daikonnya A, Wu JB, Kitanaka S | Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) | 01-Mar-2010 |
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| New Stephaoxocane Alkaloids from <i>Stephania longa</i> | Hua Zhang, Jian‐Min Yue | Wiley | 27-Jun-2006 |
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| Hasubanan type alkaloids from Stephania longa. | Zhang H, Yue JM | J Nat Prod | 01-Aug-2005 |
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| Alkaloids from aerial parts of Stephania longa | Deng Jing-Zhen, Zhao Shou-Xun | Elsevier BV | 25-Jul-2002 |
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |