Breynia vitis-idaea

Breynia vitis-idaea
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Phyllanthaceae
Genus: Breynia
Species:
B. vitis-idaea
Binomial name
Breynia vitis-idaea
Synonyms[2]
List
    • Breynia accrescens Hayata
    • Breynia formosana (Hayata) Hayata
    • Breynia keithii Ridl.
    • Breynia microcalyx Ridl.
    • Breynia officinalis Hemsl.
    • Breynia rhamnoides Müll.Arg. nom. illeg.
    • Melanthesa ovalifolia Kostel.
    • Melanthesa rhamnoides Blume nom. illeg.
    • Phyllanthus calycinus Wall. nom. inval.
    • Phyllanthus rhamnoides Retz. nom. illeg.
    • Phyllanthus rhamnoides Willd.
    • Phyllanthus sepiarius Roxb. ex Wall. nom. inval.
    • Phyllanthus tinctorius Vahl ex Baill.
    • Phyllanthus tristis A.Juss.
    • Phyllanthus vitis-idea (Burm.f.) D.Koenig ex Roxb.
    • Rhamnus vitis-idaea Burm.f.

Breynia vitis-idaea, the officinal breynia, is a perennial tree-like species of Phyllanthaceae (Euphorbiaceae s.l.), found from India east to Taiwan and Okinawa and south to Indonesia. It is a shrub or treelet with egg-shaped leaves that can reach up to 3 m tall. It has staminate flowers and spherical, red fruit.

Breynia vitis-idaea is pollinated by the leafflower moth Epicephala vitisidaea in Fujian, China and the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. The moth actively pollinates the flowers, but lays an egg into the space between the external carpel wall and the tepals. The moth caterpillars consume a subset of the tree's seeds, receiving nourishment in return.[3][4]

It contains the saponin breynin and terpenic and phenolic glycosides.[5] It is marketed in Taiwan as Chi R Yun.

Toxicity

Breynia vitis-idaea poisoning causes hepatocellular liver injury.[5]

Other names

Breynia officinalis Hemsley and B. officinalis var. accrescens (Hayata) M.J.Deng & J.C.Wang are synonyms of B. vitis-idaea.

Other variants include:

  • Breynia formosana (Hayata) Hayata
  • Breynia officinalis Hemsley var. officinalis
  • Breynia stipitata Muell. -Arg. var. formosana Hayata
  • Breynia stipitata Muell. -Arg. var. formosana Hayata

Other common names in English include:[6]

  • Formosan breynia
  • Large calyx breynia
  • Medicinal breynia

Common names in other languages include:

References

  1. ^ Ye, J. (2019). "Breynia vitis-idaea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T147650197A147650199. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T147650197A147650199.en. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  2. ^ "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  3. ^ Kawakita, A.; Kato, M. 2004. Obligate pollination mutualism in Breynia (Phyllanthaceae): further documentation of pollination mutualism involving Epicephala moths (Gracillariidae). American Journal of Botany. 91: 1319–1325.
  4. ^ Zhang, J., Hu, B., Wang, S. & Li, H. (2012). "Six new species of Epicephala Meyrick, 1880 (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) associated with Phyllanthaceae plants." Zootaxa 3275: 43-54.
  5. ^ a b J. K. Aronson. Meyler's Side Effects of Herbal Medicines. Elsevier, 2008. p. 119. ISBN 978-0-444-53269-5
  6. ^ Breynia officinalis Hemsley at Plants of Taiwan.
  7. ^ ค้นหาข้อมูลพืช[permanent dead link] (in Thai)