''Flueggea suffruticosa'' is a species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the family

Phyllanthaceae Phyllanthaceae is a family of flowering plants in the eudicot order Malpighiales. It is most closely related to the family Picrodendraceae.Kenneth J. Wurdack and Charles C. Davis. 2009. "Malpighiales phylogenetics: Gaining ground on one of the ...

. It is a

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

that is widely distributed in Asia, America, Europe, and Africa. It is one of the

50 fundamental herbs Chinese herbology () is the theory of traditional Chinese herbal therapy, which accounts for the majority of treatments in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). A ''Nature'' editorial described TCM as "fraught with pseudoscience", and said that t ...

used in

traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logical mechanism of action ...

, where it has the name ''yī yè qiū'' ().

Uses

Folk medicine

''F. suffruticosa'' is one of the

, where its twigs and leaves are used for the treatment of

lumbago Low back pain (LBP) or lumbago is a common disorder involving the muscles, nerves, and bones of the back, in between the lower edge of the ribs and the lower fold of the buttocks. Pain can vary from a dull constant ache to a sudden sharp feeli ...

, limb numbness, and indigestion,. However, there is no

scientific evidence Scientific evidence is evidence that serves to either support or counter a scientific theory or hypothesis, although scientists also use evidence in other ways, such as when applying theories to practical problems. "Discussions about empirical ev ...

that it has any clinical effect.

Phytochemicals

''Flueggea suffruticosa'' contains various

alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar ...

s, such as

securinine Securinine is an alkaloid found in ''Securinega suffruticosa'' and ''Phyllanthus niruri''. Pharmacology Securinine has pro-convulsant effects and it has a strong Spasticity, spastic effect, similar to the actions of strychnine. Securinine is ...

References

External links

* * * suffruticosa Flora of China Flora of Korea Flora of Japan Flora of Mongolia Flora of the Russian Far East Flora of Siberia Flora of Eastern Asia Flora of Northeast Asia Plants used in traditional Chinese medicine Taxa named by Henri Ernest Baillon Taxa named by Peter Simon Pallas {{Phyllanthaceae-stub