Mussaenda pubescens

Aiton f.

Jade-leaf gold-flower

Rubiaceae Edible: Leaves - tea 1,609 iNaturalist observations

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iNaturalist· cc-by

Summary

Mussaenda pubescens is a plant from the coffee family, Rubiaceae that is found in Indonesia. The plant grows wild on hillsides, shrubs, and is often cultivated as an ornamental plant. To the Sumatran Malays, this plant is known as daun putri or nusa indah (though the latter name refers to other species). Its twigs, leaves and roots are used as medicine.

Description

A low shrub. The small branches have some soft hairs. The leaves are papery. They are oval and 9-15 cm long by 3-5 cm wide. The flowers are golden yellow and in groups at the ends of branches. The fruit are oval and 10-15 mm long by 6-11 mm wide. They are black when ripe. The seeds are very small.

Edible Uses

The leaves are gathered, dried, and brewed as a cooling tea or dried and used as a tea substitute.

Traditional Uses

The leaves are gathered and dried and then used fresh for a cooling tea or saved and used as a tea substitute.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

Used traditionally as a cooling tea.

Distribution

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in forests at low to medium altitudes throughout Taiwan. In southern China it grows between 100-900 m above sea level.

Where It Grows

Asia, China*, Dominican Republic, Haiti, SE Asia, Taiwan*, Vietnam, West Indies,

Other Information

It is sold in local markets in China.

Synonyms

Mussaenda parviflora Matsum.Mussaenda parviflora var. formosana Matsum.Mussaenda taiwaniana KanehiraMussaenda taihokuensis Masam.

Also Known As

Xian gan teng

References (4)

Hu, Shiu-ying, 2005, Food Plants of China. The Chinese University Press. p 684
Kuo, W. H. J., (Ed.) Taiwan's Ethnobotanical Database (1900-2000), http://tk.agron.ntu.edu.tw/ethnobot/DB1.htm
Li, D. et al, 2017, Ethnobotanical survey of herbal tea plants from the traditional markets in Chaoshan, China. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 205 (2017) 195-206
Plants of Haiti Smithsonian Institute http://botany.si.edu/antilles/West Indies