patchouli-plant

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• patchouli-plant
• patchouly

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Mentha cablin
• Pogostemon nepetoides
• Pogostemon tomentosus
• Pogostemon nepetoides var. glandulosus
• Pogostemon battakianus
• Pogostemon comosus
• Pogostemon patchouly
• Pogostemon hortensis
• Pogostemon mollis
• Pogostemon javanicus
• Pogostemon heyneanus var. patchouly

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is categorized under the order Lamiales and the family Lamiaceae. Its specific taxonomic placement concludes within the genus Pogostemon.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning several distinct regions. In Middle Europe, it can be found in Germany. Within China, its presence is noted in both Hainan and the China Southeast regions. Its range extends further into Eastern Asia, specifically across Taiwan. Finally, the species is also located within the Indian Subcontinent in Sri Lanka.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Pogostemon cablin is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons and maintain a stable presence in its native tropical environments. In terms of its structural growth habit, the species functions as a chamaephyte, a life form where the permanent shoots are located close to the ground level, often protected by leaf litter or soil during unfavorable conditions. This combination of a long-lived lifecycle and a low-growing architecture enables the plant to establish robust root systems and dense foliage, facilitating its continuous regeneration and survival within its ecological niche.

Life form :

chamaephyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Pogostemon cablin is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb. It functions as a self-supporting plant, exhibiting neither climbing nor liana-like tendencies, and it grows as an independent organism rather than a parasite. As a terrestrial species, it does not exhibit epiphytic behavior. In terms of stature, the plant maintains a relatively modest height, with a mean and maximum height reaching approximately 1 meter.

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

1 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Pogostemon cablin is characterized by its metabolic processes and structural adaptations suited for tropical environments. The plant does not exhibit succulence, as its leaves and stems are not specialized for high-volume water storage, relying instead on consistent moisture availability in its native habitat. Furthermore, it is not a nitrogen fixer; it does not possess symbiotic relationships with diazotrophic bacteria to convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms, necessitating the uptake of nitrates and ammonium directly from the soil through its root system. Its physiological activity is heavily focused on the biosynthesis of essential oils, particularly patchouli alcohol, which is produced through complex secondary metabolic pathways within specialized glandular trichomes located on the leaf surfaces. These trichomes serve as the primary sites for the synthesis and storage of volatile compounds, which are released through transpiration and environmental stimuli.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Succulence :

no

Reproduction

Reproduction in Pogostemon cablin is characterized by a diverse and flexible flowering phenology and specific methods of seed movement. The plant exhibits a highly variable flowering time, with the possibility of blooming throughout nearly the entire year, specifically spanning from January through December. This extended flowering period allows for continuous reproductive potential across different seasonal cycles. Regarding the movement of its offspring, the species utilizes an anthropochorous dispersal syndrome, meaning its seeds or reproductive structures are primarily dispersed through human activity. This distinguishes its reproductive strategy from other common syndromes such as anemochory or endozoochory, highlighting the significant role of human intervention in the spatial distribution and spread of this plant.

Dispersal syndrome :

anthropochorous

Flowering time :

Dec

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Pogostemon cablin has 4 reported plant parts identified across 11 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, stem, flower, root.

Leaf

1. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine
2. Pharmacognosy magazine
3. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
4. Frontiers in plant science
5. Computational biology and chemistry

Stem

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
2. Frontiers in plant science
3. Journal of AOAC International

Flower

1. Frontiers in plant science

Root

1. Frontiers in plant science

Chemicals

Pogostemon cablin has 109 reported phytochemicals identified across 11 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Patchouli alcohol, Pogostone, Patchoulol, Sesquiterpenes, Seychellene.

Patchouli alcohol

1. Dr. Duke
2. BMC plant biology
3. Journal of advanced pharmaceutical technology & research
4. International journal of molecular sciences
5. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Pogostone

1. Dr. Duke
2. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
3. PloS one
4. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Frontiers in plant science

Patchoulol

1. Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB
2. PloS one
3. Frontiers in plant science
4. BMC plant biology
5. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry

Sesquiterpenes

1. Frontiers in plant science
2. BMC plant biology
3. Scientific data
4. Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB

Seychellene

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of advanced pharmaceutical technology & research
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

Pachypodol

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

alpha-Guaiene

1. Dr. Duke
2. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica
3. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

CHLOROPHYLL B

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. PloS one

Carotenoids

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. PloS one

Epiroridin acid

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Journal of Asian natural products research

Activities

Pogostemon cablin has 256 reported activities identified across 11 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Anticancer, Antiinflammatory, Cytotoxic.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics
3. SpringerPlus
4. Narra J

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. SpringerPlus

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Antiinflammatory

1. Dr. Duke
2. Expert opinion on investigational drugs

Cytotoxic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Fitoterapia

Immunosuppressant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Narra J

11B-HSD-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

AChE-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Acaricide

1. Dr. Duke

Adaptogenic

1. Expert opinion on investigational drugs

Conditions

Pogostemon cablin has 26 reported investigations on conditions identified across 11 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, headaches, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis.

Candida albicans

1. Journal of natural products
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Staphylococcus aureus

1. BMC complementary and alternative medicine
2. 3 Biotech

Headaches

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Bacillus cereus

1. BMC complementary and alternative medicine

Bacillus subtilis

1. BMC complementary and alternative medicine

Klebsiella pneumoniae

1. 3 Biotech

Micrococcus luteus

1. 3 Biotech

Abdominal pain

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Adjuvant arthritis

1. Frontiers in plant science

Aging

1. Life sciences

Preparations

Pogostemon cablin has 25 reported preparations identified across 11 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include essential oil, essential oils, volatile oil, Essential oils, Hainan Huoxiang.

Essential oil

1. Pharmaceutical patent analyst
2. Computational biology and chemistry
3. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
4. Journal of AOAC International

Essential oils

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
2. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

Volatile oil

1. Journal of natural products
2. PloS one

Essential oils

1. Journal of advanced pharmaceutical technology & research

Hainan huoxiang

1. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica

Kakko

1. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin

Kwakhyang

1. Food science and biotechnology

Patchouli essential oil

1. Physiologia plantarum

Shipai huoxiang

1. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica

Acetone extract

1. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin