Chloranthus japonicus

Chloranthus japonicus
In Japan
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Order:	Chloranthales
Family:	Chloranthaceae
Genus:	Chloranthus
Species:	C. japonicus
Binomial name
Chloranthus japonicus Siebold
Synonyms
Chloranthus mandshuricus Rupr. Tricercandra japonica (Siebold) Nakai

Chloranthus japonicus is a perennial herb in the Chloranthaceae family.

Distribution

Chloranthus japonicus is found in North Korea, Russia, islands of Japan such as Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, as well as provinces of Mainland China such as Gansu, Jilin, Shanxi, Shandong, Shaanxi, Hebei, and Liaoning, at altitudes from 500–2,300 m (1,600–7,500 ft) above sea level. The plant grows in mixed shaded and damp areas, such as hillsides and groves near standing water.

Description

Chloranthus japonicus has four serrated leaves at orthogonal directions, and a thick rhizome used for medicinal purposes. C. japonicus has an aromatic stem, with diameter from 0.1-1.5mm and a height from 20-50mm. The stem is thin like an arrow shaft. The leaves are umbrella-shaped and grow at the end of the branches. The flowers are light yellow and grow in the center of the four leaves. The roots grow horizontally without root hairs and are best harvested in February and August.

Chemical properties

All parts of the plant, especially the stem, are hemotoxic and reprotoxic to mice, and has organic chemicals such as various chloranthalactones, various atractylenolides, shizukanolide, shizukolidol, shizukafuranol, shizukaol, furanodienone, and scopoletin. Chloranthalactone C is known to have antifungal effects against Mucor circinelloides. The plant is known to act as a choleretic, weaker than a equivalent dose of dehydrocholic acid.