Periploca sepium

Periploca sepium, commonly known as Milkweed or Devil's Ivy, is a climbing shrub native to Asia. Renowned for its milky latex, this plant holds significant ethnobotanical value. Traditional medicine utilizes its leaves and stems to treat various ailments, though careful handling is essential due to its potent bioactive compounds.

  • Scientific name: Periploca sepium
  • Family: Apocynaceae
  • Native range: Asia-Temperate

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Gentianales, it is classified under the family Apocynaceae and is specifically identified by the genus Periploca.

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

Common Names

This plant, Periploca sepium, is known by various common names depending on the linguistic and regional context. In Chinese, it is referred to as 杠柳, a name that is consistently used across different regional standards, including zh-cn and zh-tw. In Japanese, it is transliterated as ペリプロカ・セピウム, while in French, it is known as Périploque de Chine.
Language Common Name Source
zh 杠柳 Wikidata
zh-cn 杠柳 Wikidata
zh-tw 杠柳 Wikidata
ja ペリプロカ・セピウム Wikidata
fr Périploque de Chine Wikidata
zh 羊角桃 Wikidata
zh 羊角条 Wikidata
zh 臭加皮 Wikidata
zh 羊角叶 Wikidata
zh 钻墙柳 Wikidata

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution across several key regions in East Asia. In the Russian Far East, it is specifically documented to occur within the Primorye region. Its presence is also well-established throughout various parts of China, including the South-Central area. Furthermore, the species can be found spanning from the northern reaches of Inner Mongolia to the Manchuria region. Finally, its habitat extends into the North-Central territories of China.

Region Area Source
Russian Far East Primorye WCVP
China China South-Central WCVP
China Inner Mongolia WCVP
China Manchuria WCVP
China China North-Central WCVP
China Qinghai WCVP
China China Southeast WCVP
China Tibet WCVP
China Xinjiang WCVP

Plant Parts

This plant, known scientifically as Periploca sepium, utilizes its root bark as a significant component in traditional medicinal practices. The root bark contains various bioactive compounds that are extracted for their therapeutic potential, often being prepared in specific ways to harness their healing properties. Depending on the medicinal preparation required, practitioners may utilize the root barks in a more general sense or focus on the specific properties found within the root bark itself to address various health concerns.
Total parts
2
Scientific sources
2
Plant Part Sources Confidence
root barks 1 ★☆☆☆☆
root bark 1 ★☆☆☆☆

Chemicals

Periploca sepium has 18 reported phytochemicals identified across 22 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include periplocin, 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-benzaldehyde, vanillin, 4-methoxysalicylic acid, HMB.

Total chemicals
18
Scientific sources
22

Most Reported Compounds

Compound Sources Confidence
periplocin 3 ★★☆☆☆
2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-benzaldehyde 2 ★☆☆☆☆
vanillin 2 ★☆☆☆☆
4-methoxysalicylic acid 1 ★☆☆☆☆
HMB 1 ★☆☆☆☆
IL-6 1 ★☆☆☆☆
Periplocin 1 ★☆☆☆☆
alpha-amyrin 1 ★☆☆☆☆
beta-amyrin acetate 1 ★☆☆☆☆
cycloeucalenol 1 ★☆☆☆☆

Activities

Periploca sepium has 1 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Anticancer.

Total activities
1
Scientific sources
1

Most Reported Activities

Activity Sources Confidence
Anticancer 1 ★☆☆☆☆

Medicinal Uses

Periploca sepium has 5 reported medicinal uses identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, leukemia, liposarcoma, sarcoma.

Total uses
5
Scientific sources
8

Most Reported Uses

Use Sources Confidence
cancer 3 ★★☆☆☆
rheumatoid arthritis 2 ★☆☆☆☆
leukemia 1 ★☆☆☆☆
liposarcoma 1 ★☆☆☆☆
sarcoma 1 ★☆☆☆☆