(Menispermaceae) Tinospora crispa (L.) Hook.f. & Thomson

Local name(s): ເຄືອ ​ເຂົາ ​ຮໍ (kheuah khao ho)

Medicinal use(s): treat cough 

Part(s) used: stem

Field Characters: Vine; >20m long, ~1cm diam; stem has many bumps; leaves alternate, cordate. Latex clear, sticky. Stem tastes very bitter. Common.

Localities: Vientiane Province, Xaythany District, Ban Veun Kham Village, Veun Kham Garden; Saysetha District, Meuang Noy Seng Da Village; Luang Namtha Province, Sing District, Nam Keo Luang Village.

Habitat: Secondary forest, sandy soil, partial shade to full shade.

Altitude: 160-185 m asl 

Collector(s): M. Xayveu, S. Sypaseuth, O. Souliya, B. Elkington

Collection numbers: BGE 122, BGE 240, BGE 244

Collection Dates: April 24, 2009; August 18, 2009; August 16, 2009

Additional information:  

Voucher specimen is in deposit at the Field Museum (F) Herbarium, Chicago, USA under accession no. 2301574, 2301531, 2301535.

Synonyms, images, taxonomic description: 

Plants of the World onlineFlora of China Vol. 7 Page 1, 8Global Biodiversity Information Facility

Useful references:

Ahmad W, Jantan I, Bukhari SN. Tinospora crispa (L.) Hook. f. & Thomson: A Review of Its Ethnobotanical, Phytochemical, and Pharmacological Aspects. Front Pharmacol. 2016;7:59. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2016.00059. eCollection 2016. Review. PubMed PMID: 27047378; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4800188.
Elliott E, Chassagne F, Aubouy A, et al. Forest Fevers: traditional treatment of malaria in the southern lowlands of Laos. J Ethnopharmacol. 2020;249:112187. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2019.112187
Huang WT, Tu CY, Wang FY, Huang ST. Literature review of liver injury induced by Tinospora crispa associated with two cases of acute fulminant hepatitis. Complement Ther Med. 2019 Feb;42:286-291. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2018.11.028. Epub 2018 Dec 6. Review. PubMed PMID: 30670256.