| Hebanthe erianthos | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Amaranthaceae |
| Genus: | Hebanthe |
| Species: | H. erianthos
|
| Binomial name | |
| Hebanthe erianthos (Poir.) Pedersen
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Hebanthe erianthos (many synonyms, including Iresine erianthos and Pfaffia paniculata),[1] known as suma or Brazilian ginseng, is a species of plant in the family Amaranthaceae. The specific epithet is also spelt "eriantha", although the basionym is Iresine erianthos.[2]
The root of this rambling ground vine found in South America is used traditionally as a medicine and tonic. Nicknamed "para tudo" in Brasil, which means "for everything", suma is a traditional herbal medicine.[3] The indigenous peoples of the Amazon region have used suma root for generations for a wide variety of health purposes, including as a general tonic; as an energy, rejuvenating, and sexual tonic; a calming agent; to treat ulcers; and as a cure-all for at least 300 years.[4]
The root contains phytochemicals including saponins (pfaffosides),[5] pfaffic acid, beta-ecdysterone, glycosides, and nortriterpenes.[4]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Hebanthe erianthos (Poir.) Pedersen". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2022-04-10.
- ^ "Hebanthe erianthe (Poir.) Pedersen". The International Plant Names Index. Retrieved 2022-04-10.
- ^ Vieira, Roberto F. (1999) Conservation of medicinal and aromatic plants in Brazil. p. 152–159. In: J. Janick (ed.), Perspectives on new crops and new uses. ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA.
- ^ a b Leslie Taylor (2005). "The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs". Tropical Plants Database.
- ^ "Triterpenoids from Brazilian Ginseng, Pfaffia paniculata" Jing Li, Atul N. Jadhav, Ikhlas A. Khan Tropical Plant Database Archived May 9, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
This page was last edited on 6 May 2024, at 01:42