Thunder God Vine

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Thunder God Vine

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Tripterygium hypoglaucum
• Tripterygium forrestii var. execum
• Berchemia franchetiana
• Celastrus chungii
• Aspidopterys hypoglauca
• Tripterygium bullockii
• Tripterygium forrestii
• Microrhamnus franchetiana
• Tripterygium wilfordii var. bullockii
• Tripterygium wilfordii var. execum

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, situated within the class Equisetopsida. It is further classified under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Celastrales, falling into the family Celastraceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Tripterygium.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is primarily distributed throughout various regions of China, including the South-Central and Southeast areas. Its presence extends into the high-altitude territories of Tibet as well. Beyond mainland China, the species can be found across Eastern Asia, specifically in Taiwan. Additionally, its range reaches into the Indo-China region, encompassing Myanmar. Together, these locations define the specific natural habitat of Tripterygium wilfordii.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Tripterygium wilfordii is characterized by its preference for specific montane environments, where it thrives within a defined altitudinal niche. This species is primarily distributed across high-altitude terrains, occupying an elevational range that begins at a minimum of 1780 m AMSL and extends to a maximum of 2400 m AMSL. Within this vertical distribution, the plant is typically found in temperate forest ecosystems, often colonizing shaded areas under the canopy of deciduous or mixed forests where moisture levels are consistent. The specific environmental conditions found within this 1780 to 2400 m AMSL bracket provide the necessary thermal stability and soil humidity required for its growth and development.

Elevational range max:

2400 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

1780 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Tripterygium wilfordii is characterized by its nature as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. As a deciduous species, it undergoes a seasonal cycle where it sheds its foliage annually, typically entering a period of dormancy during colder months before regenerating new growth in the spring.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Tripterygium wilfordii is characterized by its growth as a woody liana, functioning as a climbing vine that can exhibit self-supporting tendencies. This plant typically attains a height ranging from a minimum of 1 m to a maximum of 3 m, with an average height of approximately 2 m. While its growth form is categorized within the shrub-like structural spectrum, its primary habit is that of a climbing woody plant, allowing it to ascend through various supports in its natural habitat.

Climber :

liana

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

shrub

Plant height max:

3 m

Plant height mean:

2 m

Plant height min:

1 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Tripterygium wilfordii is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, a metabolic strategy typical of many temperate woody climbers. Its leaf morphology plays a critical role in its resource acquisition, featuring an ovate leaf form with crenulate margins and an absence of defensive structures such as thorns or spines. The leaves exhibit significant variation in dimensions, with lengths ranging from a minimum of 4 cm to a maximum of 7.5 cm (averaging 5.75 cm) and widths spanning from 3 cm to 4 cm (with a mean width of 3.5 cm). Furthermore, the plant demonstrates a highly consistent Specific Leaf Area (SLA), with a recorded value of 325.2684679 cm²/g across its minimum, mean, and maximum measurements, suggesting a stable leaf density and thickness relative to its surface area during its physiological processes.

Leaf form :

ovate

Leaf length max:

7.5 cm

Leaf length mean:

5.75 cm

Leaf length min:

4 cm

Leaf margin :

crenulate

Leaf spines :

no

Leaf thorns :

no

Leaf width max:

4 cm

Leaf width mean:

3.5 cm

Leaf width min:

3 cm

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) min:

325.2684679 cm²/g

Reproduction

The reproduction of Tripterygium wilfordii is characterized by its specific flowering and fruiting structures. The plant produces inflorescences that typically measure between 0.05 m and 0.07 m in length. Within these inflorescences, the individual flowers are relatively small, ranging from a minimum length of 0.4 cm to a maximum of 0.5 cm. Following pollination, the plant develops fruit that varies in both length and width. The fruit length ranges from a minimum of 1 cm to a maximum of 1.5 cm, with an observed mean length of 1.25 cm. Similarly, the fruit width fluctuates between a minimum of 1 cm and a maximum of 1.2 cm, maintaining an average width of 1.1 cm.

Flower length max:

0.5 cm

Flower length min:

0.4 cm

Fruit length max:

1.5 cm

Fruit length mean:

1.25 cm

Fruit length min:

1 cm

Fruit width max:

1.2 cm

Fruit width mean:

1.1 cm

Fruit width min:

1 cm

Inflorescence length max:

0.07 m

Inflorescence length min:

0.05 m

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Tripterygium wilfordii has 5 reported plant parts identified across 26 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include root, leaf, stem, fruit, rhizome.

Root

1. Frontiers in medicine
2. Journal of natural products
3. Phytochemistry
4. Journal of Asian natural products research
5. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Leaf

1. Fitoterapia
2. Journal of separation science
3. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica
4. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

Stem

1. Journal of separation science
2. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

Fruit

1. Phytochemistry

Rhizome

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

Chemicals

Tripterygium wilfordii has 98 reported phytochemicals identified across 26 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include triptolide, celastrol, Triptophenolide, triterpenoids, Terpenoids.

triptolide

1. BMC complementary and alternative medicine
2. Molecular immunology
3. Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)
4. FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
5. Advanced healthcare materials

celastrol

1. BMC complementary and alternative medicine
2. Basic & clinical pharmacology & toxicology
3. Frontiers in medicine
4. Frontiers in pharmacology
5. Blood

Triptophenolide

1. BMC complementary and alternative medicine
2. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
3. Plant methods
4. Journal of natural products

triterpenoids

1. RSC advances
2. The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology
3. Plant methods
4. Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology

Terpenoids

1. RSC advances
2. Frontiers in pharmacology
3. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Tripchlorolide

1. Journal of separation science
2. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica
3. Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology

Tripdiolide

1. Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
2. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica
3. Contraception

Tripterifordin

1. Journal of natural products
2. Frontiers in bioscience (Landmark edition)
3. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Triptonide

1. International journal of molecular medicine
2. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica
3. Neoplasma

DEHYDROABIETIC ACID

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Nature communications

Activities

Tripterygium wilfordii has 17 reported activities identified across 26 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Anticancer, Antioxidant, Antitumor, Insecticide, Antifertility.

Anticancer

1. Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology
2. Phytochemistry
3. Oncotarget
4. Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)
5. Neoplasma

Antioxidant

1. Advanced healthcare materials
2. Toxicology research
3. Nutrients

Antitumor

1. RSC advances
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Journal of applied toxicology : JAT

Insecticide

1. Die Pharmazie
2. Fitoterapia
3. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica

Antifertility

1. Contraception
2. Virologica Sinica

Antiinflammatory

1. Die Pharmazie
2. Journal of natural products

Antiobesity

1. Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology
2. Current opinion in plant biology

Cytotoxic

1. Die Pharmazie
2. Journal of natural products

Antiproliferative

1. International immunopharmacology

Antiproteinuric

1. Nutrients

Medicinal Uses

Tripterygium wilfordii has 70 reported medicinal uses identified across 26 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation, autoimmune diseases, obesity.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations