(Acanthaceae) Asystasia chelonoides Nees

Local name(s): ຫ້ອມເຄືອ (Hom kheua)

Medicinal use(s): treat wounds, stop bleeding

Part(s) used: whole plant

Field Characters: Extensively spreading ground cover, herbaceous plant, flowers light pink, the lower lip with deep pink smudges adaxially. 

Locality: Oudomxay, Muang Xay District, Donxay Village, Medicinal Biodiversity Preserve, about 3 km south of city. GPS reading: 20o 40.0181’ N; 102o 00.155’ E.

Habitat: Open field near forest. Broadleaved, mixed evergreen lowland tropical rainforest. 

Alt.: 730 m asl. 

Collector(s): D.D. Soejarto, K. Sydara, M. Xayvue

Collection number(s): DDS 15086

Collection Date: September 26, 2014

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Local name(s): ໜວດ​ ແມວ​ ປ່າ, ​ໝາກ​ ເພັດ​ ນ້ຳ (nuat meo pa, mak phet nam)

Medicinal use(s): infections, kidney stones 

Part(s) used: whole plant

Field Characters: Shrub, approximately 1m in height. Stem with protuberances. Leaves solitary, alternate, margins slightly crenate. Flower funnel-shaped, white and lavender.

Locality: Sekong Province; Thateng District; Area around MBP Pa Dohng Nyung; Ban Kohk Pong Nieua.

Habitat: Community medicinal plant garden.

Alt.: 610 m asl 

Collector(s): B. Elkington, M. Xayvue, S. Setthavanxay

Collection number(s): BGE 304

Collection Date: November 21, 2019

Additional information:  

Voucher specimen is in deposit at the Field Museum (F) Herbarium, Chicago, USA under accession nos. 2314199;  2330353.

Synonyms, images, taxonomic description: 

Plants of the World onlineGBIF | Global Biodiversity Information FacilityFlora of China

Useful references:

Duan T, Li M, Lie B, Lin Z, Li M, Xia T, Lin G, Meng L, Lu X, Li Z, Yang J. The Protective Effect of the Asystasia chelonoides Extracts on Hypertensive Nephropathy Rats. Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2023;24(13):1708-1714. doi: 10.2174/1389201024666230320120925 .  DOI: 10.2174/1389201024666230320120925


Francis Xavier T, Kannan M, Auxilia A. Observation on the traditional phytotherapy among the Malayali tribes in Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu, South India. J Ethnopharmacol. 2015 May 13;165:198-214. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.02.045. Epub 2015 Mar 2. PubMed PMID: 25743441.

Nair GR, Suja SR, Jayasree M. Pharmacognostic studies of Asystasia chelonoides var. chelonoides, Nees. Trends in Biosciences 2018, Vol. 11, No. 7, 1073-1076. https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.5555/20203075362 


Nair GR, Suja SR1, Jayasree M. Evaluation of antioxidant potential of Asystasia chelonoid var. chelonoides  Nees. (Acanthaeae). International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research 2023, volume 5, issue 2.chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.ijfmr.com/papers/2023/2/1429.pdf