Tetradenia riparia

Mountain mist

Tetradenia riparia, commonly known as the river plant, is a versatile medicinal herb native to various Asian regions. Renowned for its bioactive compounds, it is traditionally utilized in folk medicine to treat inflammation, skin ailments, and respiratory issues. This resilient species offers significant potential for contemporary pharmacological research and development.

  • Scientific name: Tetradenia riparia
  • Family: Lamiaceae
  • Native range: Africa

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. It is further classified under the subclass Magnoliidae, the order Lamiales, and the family Lamiaceae. Ultimately, it is identified by the genus Tetradenia, specifically as the species Tetradenia riparia.

Rank Classification Source
Kingdom Plantae WCVP
Phylum Streptophyta WCVP
Class Equisetopsida WCVP
Subclass Magnoliidae WCVP
Order Lamiales WCVP
Family Lamiaceae WCVP
Genus Tetradenia WCVP

Common Names

This plant, known scientifically as Tetradenia riparia, is referred to by various common names across different languages and regions. In Finnish, it is called myskiyrtti, while in Afrikaans, it is known as Watersalie. It is referred to as Iboza in Zulu, and in both Chinese and Simplified Chinese, it is identified by the name 臭白花.
Language Common Name Source
fi myskiyrtti Wikidata
af Watersalie Wikidata
zu Iboza Wikidata
zh 臭白花 Wikidata
zh-cn 臭白花 Wikidata
zh-tw 臭白花 Wikidata
ja フブキバナ Wikidata
mnc ᠵᠠᡵᡳᠨ ᠮᠣᠣ Wikidata
zh-hans 麝香木 Wikidata
zh-hant 麝香木 Wikidata

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical range across several regions of the African continent. In West-Central Tropical Africa, its presence is specifically noted in Rwanda. Moving toward South Tropical Africa, the species is widely distributed across multiple countries. It can be found growing in the landscapes of Angola and Malawi. Additionally, its habitat extends through Mozambique and Zimbabwe within the southern reaches of the continent.

Region Area Source
West-Central Tropical Africa Rwanda WCVP
South Tropical Africa Angola WCVP
South Tropical Africa Malawi WCVP
South Tropical Africa Mozambique WCVP
South Tropical Africa Zimbabwe WCVP
Southern Africa Botswana WCVP
Southern Africa Namibia WCVP
Southern Africa KwaZulu-Natal WCVP
Southern Africa Eswatini WCVP
Southern Africa Northern Provinces WCVP

Plant Parts

This plant, Tetradenia riparia, possesses several distinct components that contribute to its overall structure and medicinal potential. The vegetative body is characterized by sturdy stems that support a lush arrangement of leaves, where each individual leaf serves as a primary site for photosynthesis. During its reproductive phase, the plant develops specialized floral buds that eventually give rise to its flowers. Furthermore, the plant is known to contain essential oil, a concentrated substance often harvested from its tissues for its potent aromatic and therapeutic properties.
Total parts
8
Scientific sources
11
Plant Part Sources Confidence
leaves 3 ★★☆☆☆
stems 2 ★☆☆☆☆
leaf 1 ★☆☆☆☆
floral buds 1 ★☆☆☆☆
essential oil 1 ★☆☆☆☆
Stems 1 ★☆☆☆☆
Leaves 1 ★☆☆☆☆
Flower Buds 1 ★☆☆☆☆

Chemicals

Tetradenia riparia has 28 reported phytochemicals identified across 36 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include flavonoids, saponins, coumarins, fenchone, 14-hydroxy-9-epi (E)-caryophyllene.

Total chemicals
28
Scientific sources
36

Most Reported Compounds

Compound Sources Confidence
flavonoids 5 ★★★☆☆
saponins 3 ★★☆☆☆
coumarins 2 ★☆☆☆☆
fenchone 2 ★☆☆☆☆
14-hydroxy-9-epi (E)-caryophyllene 1 ★☆☆☆☆
6,7-dehydroroyleanone 1 ★☆☆☆☆
Zn 1 ★☆☆☆☆
acetaldehyde 1 ★☆☆☆☆
acetylene 1 ★☆☆☆☆
alpha-terpineol 1 ★☆☆☆☆

Activities

Tetradenia riparia has 4 reported activities identified across 9 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Analgesic, Antitumor.

Total activities
4
Scientific sources
9

Most Reported Activities

Activity Sources Confidence
Antioxidant 5 ★★★☆☆
Antimicrobial 2 ★☆☆☆☆
Analgesic 1 ★☆☆☆☆
Antitumor 1 ★☆☆☆☆

Medicinal Uses

Tetradenia riparia has 21 reported medicinal uses identified across 23 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include headache, malaria, Diarrhea, Leishmania, Mycobacterium smegmatis.

Total uses
21
Scientific sources
23

Most Reported Uses

Use Sources Confidence
headache 2 ★☆☆☆☆
malaria 2 ★☆☆☆☆
Diarrhea 1 ★☆☆☆☆
Leishmania 1 ★☆☆☆☆
Mycobacterium smegmatis 1 ★☆☆☆☆
Plasmodium falciparum 1 ★☆☆☆☆
aches 1 ★☆☆☆☆
cough 1 ★☆☆☆☆
cutaneous leishmaniasis 1 ★☆☆☆☆
dengue 1 ★☆☆☆☆