Ophiorrhiza

Ophiorrhiza, commonly known as various local names depending on the species, is a fascinating genus of medicinal plants within the Apocynaceae family. Renowned for their bioactive alkaloids, these plants are utilized in traditional medicine to treat diverse ailments, offering significant pharmacological potential for modern drug development and therapeutic research.

  • Scientific name: Ophiorrhiza
  • Family: Rubiaceae
  • Native range: Asia-Temperate

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Gentianales, it is classified within the Rubiaceae family. It is specifically identified by the genus Ophiorrhiza.

Rank Classification Source
Kingdom Plantae WCVP
Phylum Streptophyta WCVP
Class Equisetopsida WCVP
Subclass Magnoliidae WCVP
Order Gentianales WCVP
Family Rubiaceae WCVP
Genus Ophiorrhiza WCVP

Common Names

This plant, belonging to the genus Ophiorrhiza, is recognized by various regional names across different languages and cultures. In Chinese, it is referred to as 蛇根草属 (zh-hans), 蛇根草屬 (zh-hant), and 蛇根草屬 (zh-hk). In the Malayalam language, it is known as അവിൽപ്പൊരി (ml), while in Russian, it is transliterated as Офиориза (mrj).
Language Common Name Source
zh-hans 蛇根草属 Wikidata
zh-hant 蛇根草屬 Wikidata
zh-hk 蛇根草屬 Wikidata
ml അവിൽപ്പൊരി Wikidata
mrj Офиориза Wikidata
udm Офиориза Wikidata
zh 蛇根草属 Wikidata
zh-cn 蛇根草属 Wikidata
zh-tw 蛇根草屬 Wikidata
ja サツマイナモリ属 Wikidata

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution across various regions of China. It can be found growing within the South-Central areas of the country. Furthermore, its presence extends to the tropical landscapes of Hainan. The species is also documented in China's North-Central and Southeast territories. Finally, its range reaches into the high-altitude regions of Tibet.

Region Area Source
China China South-Central WCVP
China Hainan WCVP
China China North-Central WCVP
China China Southeast WCVP
China Tibet WCVP
Eastern Asia Japan WCVP
Eastern Asia Nansei-shoto WCVP
Eastern Asia Taiwan WCVP
Indian Subcontinent Assam WCVP
Indian Subcontinent Bangladesh WCVP

Chemicals

Ophiorrhiza has 3 reported phytochemicals identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include camptothecin, flavonoids, terpenoids.

Total chemicals
3
Scientific sources
3

Most Reported Compounds

Compound Sources Confidence
camptothecin 1 ★☆☆☆☆
flavonoids 1 ★☆☆☆☆
terpenoids 1 ★☆☆☆☆

Activities

Ophiorrhiza has 2 reported activities identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antimicrobial, Antiviral.

Total activities
2
Scientific sources
2

Most Reported Activities

Activity Sources Confidence
Antimicrobial 1 ★☆☆☆☆
Antiviral 1 ★☆☆☆☆

Medicinal Uses

Ophiorrhiza has 1 reported medicinal uses identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include cancer.

Total uses
1
Scientific sources
1

Most Reported Uses

Use Sources Confidence
cancer 1 ★☆☆☆☆