Family | Apocynaceae (also placed in Asclepiadaceae) |
Subfamily | Asclepiadoideae |
Tribe | Asclepiadeae |
Scientific name | Metaplexis japonica (Thunberg) Makino |
Synonyms | Metaplexis stauntonii Schultes; Metaplexis chinensis Decaisne; Pergularia japonica Thunberg; Urostelma chinensis Bunge |
Common name | (Japanese common name) gaga-imo (ガガイモ, 蘿芋 [meaning: stoop hight taro]), chichi-kusa (チチクサ, 乳草 [meaning: milk weed]), kusa-wata (クサワタ, 草綿 [meaning: cotton weed]) |
(English common name) none | |
Distribution | (Japan) Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu |
(Other nations) Russia (Far East), Korea, China | |
Habitat | Field or bush |
Chromosomal number | 2n=22, 24 |
Description | Leaves 5-10cm long, 3-5cm wide. Flowers pale purple, pink or white corollas ca. 12-15mm across, flowering in June to October. Fruits 8-10cm long. Vine plants. Perennial plants. |
Reference | Metaplexis japonica (Thunb.) Makino |
Metaplexis japonica (Thunberg) Makino | |
Skin external preparation (Japanese Patent JP03190809/1991) | |
Extracts, compounds and pharmaceutical compositions having anti-diabetic activity and their use (US Patent 7033616/2006) | |
Pharmaceutical compositions having appetite suppressant activity (US Patent 7166611/2007) | |
Composition for inhibiting thrombosis (European Patent EP1721533/2006) | |
Plant germination inhibitor and method of use thereof (European Patent EP1736053/2006) |
September 2006 at open field |
September 2006 at open field |
September 2006 at open field |
September 2006 at open field |
September 2006 at open field |
September 2006 at open field |