Spatholobus suberectus Seeds | Suberect Spatholobus
LATIN NAME: Spatholobus suberectus
COMMON NAME: Suberect Spatholobus
Plant Profile
Suberect spatholobus is a woody liana of the pea family from southern China, climbing high into trees with stems that bleed a red resin when cut. It has three broad leaflets, dense panicles of purple-red pea flowers in summer and flat, brown, papery pods in autumn. The stem is the plant’s defining feature: on old vines it becomes a twisted, rope-like trunk, and a fresh cut shows concentric rings of reddish-brown tissue in the wood, which is where the Chinese name chicken-blood vine comes from. It grows in evergreen and semi-evergreen forest on hill slopes, often over limestone, in Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan, and it is one of the most heavily traded medicinal vines in China.
Science & Biotechnology
Spatholobus suberectus is the pharmacopoeial source of Ji Xue Teng, and the red colour of the cut stem comes from condensed tannins and anthocyanin-like pigments deposited in the xylem parenchyma. The medicinal interest centres on flavonoids, particularly formononetin and its glycosides, together with proanthocyanidins that are abundant in the stem. Laboratory work reports effects on blood flow, on platelet aggregation and on the proliferation of haematopoietic cells, and Chinese clinical studies have used it in formulas for anaemia and for menstrual disorders, though the trial quality is generally low. The genus is taxonomically difficult, with many similar lianas in the same forests, and substitution in the market is common. Wild populations have been reduced by decades of stem harvesting, and cultivation is still small-scale.
Uses & Benefits
The sliced stem is decocted for poor circulation, for menstrual pain, for numbness in the limbs and for recovery after childbirth, usually combined with other blood-moving herbs. It is one of the most common ingredients in Chinese orthopaedic and gynaecological formulas. The vine is also used in rural construction for binding and for rope, since the stems are strong and flexible. In the garden it is a vigorous climber for a large pergola in a warm climate, with handsome foliage and pea flowers that bees work. It needs a strong frame and hard annual pruning to keep it within bounds. The red resin stains hands and tools, so handle cut stems with gloves.
Growing from Seed
Soak the seed for a day in warm water, then nick the coat with a file, because germination without scarification is poor. Sow two centimetres deep in a free-draining mix of loam, sand and compost, and keep at twenty-five degrees. Germination takes two to four weeks. The seedling makes a deep taproot and a single climbing shoot, and it should be given a stake immediately. Grow on in full sun with steady water, and pinch the shoot tip to encourage branching once it reaches a metre. Plant out in spring into deep, well-drained soil with a sturdy support. Water through the first two dry seasons and prune hard in late winter.
Our Take
A medicinal liana with blood-red wood and a place in every Chinese bone formula. It needs a strong pergola and hard pruning.
Related Reading
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