Paederia foetida

Paederia foetida
Skunkvine
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Rubiaceae
Genus: Paederia
Species: P. foetida
Binomial name
Paederia foetida
L. [1]
Synonyms
List source : [2]

Paederia foetida is a species of plant, with common names that are variations of Skunkvine; Stinkvine; or Chinese Fever Vine.[3] It is native to temperate, and tropical Asia; and has become naturalized in the Mascarenes, Melanesia, Polynesia, and the Hawaiian Islands.[2]

Paederia foetida is known for the strong, sulphurous odour exuded when its leaves or stems are crushed or bruised. This is because the oil responsible for the smell, and found primarily within the leaves, contains sulphur compounds, including largely dimethyl disulphide.[4]

Distribution

P. foetida is native to Bangladesh and southern Bhutan; Cambodia; Taiwan and China (in Hong Kong and Macau, and the provinces of Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang); India (in Andhra Pradesh, Warangal, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, in the northern part of West Bengal, and the Andaman and Nicobar islands); Indonesia; Japan (in Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku prefectures, as well as in the Ryukyu Islands); Laos; Malaysia; Myanmar; Nepal; the Philippines; Singapore; South Korea; Thailand; and Vietnam.[2]

Uses

It is sometimes planted as an ornamental; and has virtue in folk medicine.[2]

In Assamese it is called Bhedailota and is a distinct part of Assamese cuisine.[citation needed]

In Bengali it is called Gandhabhadule/Gandal গন্ধভাদুলে/গাঁদাল and believed to be a laxative or bowel-function regulator.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^  This species was first described botanically and published in Mantissa Plantarum 1: 52. 1767. "Name - Paederia foetida L.". Tropicos. Saint Louis, Missouri: Missouri Botanical Garden. http://www.tropicos.org/Name/27902990. Retrieved August 9, 2010. 
  2. ^ a b c d GRIN (October 17, 2001). "Paederia foetida information from NPGS/GRIN". Taxonomy for Plants. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland: USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?26300. Retrieved August 9, 2010. 
  3. ^ "Ecology of Paederia foetida". ISSG Database. Invasive Species Specialist Group (IUCN and SSC. http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=632. Retrieved August 9, 2010. 
  4. ^ K.C.Wong; G.L.Tan (Jan/Feb, 1994). "Steam volatile constituents of the aerial parts of Paederia foetida L. (abstract)". Flavour and Fragrance Journal (Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) 9 (1): 25–28. doi:10.1002/ffj.2730090106. 


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