(Fabaceae) Caesalpinia digyna Rottler

Local name(s): (Kheua nam ka chay)

Medicinal use(s): used as a tonic and to enhance appetite.

Part(s) used: leaf and stem.

Field Characters: Vine about 6 meters long, leaves green. Fruit 10 centimeters long, stem muricate.

Locality: Vientiane Municipality, Sangthong District, Ban Nathiam.

Habitat: 

Altitude: m asl. 

Collector(s): V. Somsamouth

Collection number(s): LAOS_319

Collection Date: February 15, 2002

Additional information:  

Local name(s): ໜາມ ກະ ຈາຍ (nam ka chai)

Medicinal use(s): treatment of cases of intestinal infection.

Part(s) used: stem or root

Field Characters: Huge liana with prominent and large prickles on the stem and spiny throughout, the large raised prickles pyramidal, terminated by a very sharp spine, prickled stem to 20 cm in diameter at the base. 

Locality: Luang Prabang Province, Pak Ou District, Medicinal Biodiversity Preserve above Somsanouk village. 

Habitat: Subtropical monsoon forest on a steep slope, ascending to the base of limestone mountain that rises precipitously to a peak of ca. 1000 m asl. The greater part of the vegetation cover was leafless at the time of this fieldwork.

Altitude: 390 m asl. 

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

Collection number(s): DDS 15429

Collection Date: February 10, 2020

Additional information:  

Voucher specimen is in deposit at the Field Museum (F) Herbarium, Chicago, USA, under accession no. 2329964.

Project: CCF

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Local name(s): ໜາມ ກະ ຈາຍ (nam ka chai)

Medicinal use(s): Used to treat syphilis; also stomachache

Part(s) used: root, stem

Field Characters: Liana, spiny throughout, fruits light green, brown when dry.

Locality: Luang Prabang Province, Park Ou district, Medicinal Biodiversity Preserve above Somsanouk village.

Habitat: Subtropical monsoon forest on a steep slope, ascending to the base of limestone mountain that rises precipitously to a peak of ca. 1000 m asl. The greater part of the vegetation cover was leafless at the time of this fieldwork.

Altitude: 415 m asl 

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

Collection number(s): DDS 15449

Collection Date: February 11, 2020

Additional information:  

Project: CCF

Synonyms, images, taxonomic description: 

Medicinal properties:

Emon NU, Alam MM, Sawon MSU, et al. Biological and computational studies provide insights into Caesalphinia digyna Rottler stems. Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports 2021, volume 26, 100994. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrep.2021.100994.