Dicliptera tinctoria is the accepted name[1] of a species in the family Acanthaceae (previously described here as the synonyms Peristrophe bivalvis (L.) Merr.[2] and P. roxburghiana). It may be called magenta plant, or lá cẩm in Vietnamese and native to southeastern Asia from Assam south to Sri Lanka and east to mainland Southeast Asia, Java, southern China, and Taiwan.[3][4][5]
| Dicliptera tinctoria | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Acanthaceae |
| Subfamily: | Acanthoideae |
| Tribe: | Justicieae |
| Genus: | Dicliptera |
| Species: | D. tinctoria
|
| Binomial name | |
| Dicliptera tinctoria (Nees) Kostel.
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| Synonyms | |
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Description
editIt is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 0.3–1 m tall. The leaves are lanceolate to ovoid-acute, 20–75 mm long and 10–35 mm wide. The flowers are two-lobed, the long axis up to 50 mm long; they are magenta to reddish-violet.[3][4][6][7]
Cultivation and uses
editCulinary use
edit
An extract of its leaves is used as a food dye, and imparts a magenta tone to some Vietnamese foods, particularly in a taro-filled cake called bánh da lợn and glutinous rice dishes such as xôi lá cẩm, a sweet dessert.
Medicinal use
editThe plant is used in traditional Chinese medicine. The leaves have been used in water extract decoctions for the treatment of ailments including cough, dysentery, diarrhoea and bronchitis.[8]
References
edit- ^ "Dicliptera tinctoria (Nees) Kostel. — Plants of the World Online". www.plantsoftheworldonline.org. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
- ^ Interpr. Rumph. Herb. Amboin. 476 (1917)
- ^ a b Flora of Taiwan: Peristrophe roxburghiana Archived 2009-08-14 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b Flora of China (draft): Acanthaceae.
- ^ Germplasm Resources Information Network: Peristrophe bivalvis.
- ^ Taiwan Forestry Flora of Taiwan 4: 183: in Chinese Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine; google translation.
- ^ "爵床科 九頭獅子草屬 山藍 (葉花) 最南點 Peristrophe roxburghiana". flickr.com. 2006-10-12. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ Tanaka, Yoshitaka; Van Ke, Nguyen (2007). Edible Wild Plants of Vietnam: The Bountiful Garden. Thailand: Orchid Press. p. 16. ISBN 978-9745240896.