Drymaria diandra

Drymaria dianendra, commonly known as the creeping herb, is a small, resilient plant belonging to the Rubiaceae family. Often found in tropical regions, it is valued in traditional medicine for its diverse pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, making it a subject of significant ethnobotanical interest.

  • Scientific name: Drymaria diandra
  • Family: Caryophyllaceae
  • Native range: Africa

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, placing it within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. It is further classified under the order Caryophyllales and the family Caryophyllaceae. Finally, its specific taxonomic placement is within the genus Drymaria.

Rank Classification Source
Kingdom Plantae WCVP
Phylum Streptophyta WCVP
Class Equisetopsida WCVP
Subclass Magnoliidae WCVP
Order Caryophyllales WCVP
Family Caryophyllaceae WCVP
Genus Drymaria WCVP

Common Names

This plant, known scientifically as Drymaria dianendra, is referred to by various common names depending on the region and language. In Chinese, it is called 荷莲豆草 (zh) or 荷蓮豆草 (zh-tw), while in mainland China, it is specifically known as 荷莲豆 (zh-cn). In Thailand, its name is เกล็ดหอยดอย (th), and in Japan, it is recognized as ヤンバルハコベ (ja).
Language Common Name Source
zh 荷莲豆草 Wikidata
th เกล็ดหอยดอย Wikidata
zh-tw 荷蓮豆草 Wikidata
zh-cn 荷莲豆 Wikidata
ja ヤンバルハコベ Wikidata
zh-hans 荷莲豆草 Wikidata
zh 有米菜 Wikidata
zh 水青草 Wikidata
zh 穿线蛇 Wikidata
zh 青蛇子 Wikidata

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution that spans across multiple continents and regions. In West-Central Tropical Africa, its presence is specifically noted within the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Moving toward the southern portion of the continent, it can also be found in Angola. Within Asia, the species is widely distributed across several parts of China, including the South-Central region. Furthermore, its habitat extends to the Southeast Chinese mainland as well as the tropical island of Hainan.

Region Area Source
West-Central Tropical Africa DR Congo WCVP
South Tropical Africa Angola WCVP
China China South-Central WCVP
China Hainan WCVP
China China Southeast WCVP
China Tibet WCVP
Eastern Asia Nansei-shoto WCVP
Eastern Asia Taiwan WCVP
Indian Subcontinent Assam WCVP
Indian Subcontinent Bangladesh WCVP

Plant Parts

This plant, Drymaria dianendra, is typically utilized in traditional medicine in its whole plants form. Because the entire structure—including the delicate stems, leaves, and small flowers—contains the bioactive compounds necessary for its therapeutic effects, the complete specimen is harvested to ensure maximum efficacy. Using the whole plants allows for a comprehensive application of its medicinal properties in various herbal preparations.
Total parts
1
Scientific sources
1
Plant Part Sources Confidence
whole plants 1 ★☆☆☆☆

Chemicals

Drymaria diandra has 10 reported phytochemicals identified across 10 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include cis-p-coumarate, diandraflavone, drymarin A, drymarin B, drymaritin.

Total chemicals
10
Scientific sources
10

Most Reported Compounds

Compound Sources Confidence
cis-p-coumarate 1 ★☆☆☆☆
diandraflavone 1 ★☆☆☆☆
drymarin A 1 ★☆☆☆☆
drymarin B 1 ★☆☆☆☆
drymaritin 1 ★☆☆☆☆
glycerol-alpha-lignocerate 1 ★☆☆☆☆
isovitexin 1 ★☆☆☆☆
methyl 5-hydroxy-4-oxopentanoate 1 ★☆☆☆☆
p-hydroxybenzaldehyde 1 ★☆☆☆☆
p-hydroxybenzoic acid 1 ★☆☆☆☆

Medicinal Uses

Drymaria diandra has 1 reported medicinal uses identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include HIV.

Total uses
1
Scientific sources
1

Most Reported Uses

Use Sources Confidence
HIV 1 ★☆☆☆☆