(Primulaceae) Embelia ribes Burm.f.

Local name(s): ສົ້ມ ຂີ້ ມ້ອນ, ສົ້ມ ເລີ້ (sohm kee mohn, sohm leu)

Medicinal use(s): Used in the treatment of diarrhea, stomachache, and to kill worms.

Part(s) used: fruit, root

Field characters: Liana, flowers greenish white, profuse, in spreading, loose terminal paniculate clusters.

Locality: Xieng Khoang Province, Kham District, Kham Medicinal Biodiversity Preserve, 15 km from Kham town.

Habitat: Broadleaved evergreen submontane forest. Edge of forest along road.

Altitude: 1130 m asl

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

Collection number(s): DDS 14976

Collection date: May 16, 2014

Additional data:

Voucher specimen is in deposit at the Field Museum (F) Herbarium, Chicago, USA under accession no. 2313850.

Synonyms, images, taxonomic descriptions:

Flora of China Vol. 15 Page 32Plants of the World online

Useful references:

Hossain, M.S. et al. Antiviral activity of Embelia ribes Burm. f. against influenza virus in vitro. Arch Virol. 2018; 163(8):2121-2131.
Javed, I. & Akhtar, M.S. Screening of Veronia anthelmintica seed and Embelia ribes fruit mixed in equal parts against gastrointestinal nematodes. Pakistan J. Pharmaceut. Sci. 1990; 3(2):69-74.
Karpakal, S. & Rajasekharan, P.E. A review on the pharmacology of Embelia ribes Burm. f.- A threatened medicinal plant. Internat. J. Pharm. Bi. Sci. 2014; 5(2).
Shirole, R.L. Embelia ribes ameliorates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome. J Ethnopharmacol. 2015; 168:356-363.