Osbeckia chinensis
L.
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(c) MP Zhou, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by MP Zhou
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(c) johnallcock, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) johnallcock, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Summary
Source: WikipediaOsbeckia chinensis is a plant species in the genus Osbeckia. Osbeckia chinensis contains the ellagitanin punicacortein A.
Description
A small erect shrub. It grows 1 m tall. The stems are hairy and 4 sided. The leaves are broadly oval or sword shaped. They are 1.8-3.2 cm long by 0.8-1.2 cm wide. There are slight teeth along the edge. The leaf stalks are 1-2 mm long. The flowers have 5 petals. They are pink or pale purple. The fruit are 7 mm across and 6 mm long. They are purplish red.
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal Uses
The whole plant is antitussive, expectorant, and febrifuge. A decoction is used to treat watery diarrhoea, dysentery, and excessive sputum production associated with coughing.
Distribution
It is a tropical plant. In Taiwan it grows in grassland and at the edges of forests from sea level to 1,600 m altitude. In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Where It Grows
Asia, Australia, Cambodia, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, SE Asia, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet, Vietnam,
Cultivation
Requires warm greenhouse treatment in Britain.
Propagation
Propagate by seed.
Other Uses
None known
References (2)
- Flora of Taiwan Vol. 3:992
- Kuo, W. H. J., (Ed.) Taiwan's Ethnobotanical Database (1900-2000), http://tk.agron.ntu.edu.tw/ethnobot/DB1.htm
