(Costaceae) Parahellenia tonkinensis (Gagnep.) Juan Chen, N.H.Xia, L.Y.Zeng & S.Jin Zeng

Local name(s): ຄ້ອນເທົ້າຜີຍະວານ (ເອື້ອງອ້ອຍ) (Khone thao phi nha way; Euang oy) 

Medicinal use(s): treatment for red eye (conjunctivitis), pain in the ear (otitis), pain in the uterus  

Part(s) used: stem

Field Characters: Large herb, single-stemmed with rhizome, 2 ½ m tall, infructescence separated from stem, subglobular, persistent calyx spiny, greenish to pinkish. 

Locality: Oudomxay, Muang Xay District, Donxay Village, Medicinal Biodiversity Preserve, about 3 km south of the city.

GPS reading: At the vicinity of 20o 40.0181’ N; 102o 00.155’ E.

Habitat: Forested slope in a broadleaved, mixed evergreen lowland tropical rainforest on a mountain slope.

Altitude: 800-850 m asl.

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

Collection number(s): DDS 15115

Collection Date: September 26, 2014

Additional information:  

Synonyms, images, taxonomic description: 

Useful references:

Chen J, Zeng S, Zeng L, et al. Parahellenia, a new genus segregated from Hellenia (Costaceae) based on phylogenetic and morphological evidence. Plant Divers 2022, 44(4):389-405. doi: 10.1016/j.pld.2022.02.001. PMID: 35967252; PMCID: PMC9363654. 

Qiao CF, Li QW, Dong H, et al. [Studies on chemical constituents of two plants from Costus]. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi 2002, 27(2):123-125. Chinese. PMID: 12774385. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12774385/ [To study the chemical constituents of Costus speciosus and C. tonkinensis, Zingiberaceae]