Hebanthe erianthos (many synonyms, including Iresine erianthos and Pfaffia paniculata),[1] known as suma or Brazilian ginseng, is a species of plant in the family Amaranthaceae. The specific epithet is also spelt "eriantha", although the basionym is Iresine erianthos.[2]

Hebanthe erianthos
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Amaranthaceae
Genus: Hebanthe
Species:
H. erianthos
Binomial name
Hebanthe erianthos
(Poir.) Pedersen
Synonyms[1]
  • Celosia eriantha Vahl ex Moq.
  • Gomphrena erianthos (Poir.) Moq.
  • Gomphrena paniculata (Mart.) Moq.
  • Gomphrena paniculata f. ovatifolia Heimerl
  • Hebanthe paniculata Mart.
  • Hebanthe paniculata f. ovatifolia (Heimerl) Borsch & Pedersen
  • Hebanthe virgata Mart.
  • Iresine erianthos Poir.
  • Iresine paniculata (Mart.) Spreng.
  • Iresine tenuis Suess.
  • Iresine virgata Spreng.
  • Pfaffia erianthos (Poir.) Kuntze
  • Pfaffia laurifolia Chodat
  • Pfaffia paniculata (Mart.) Kuntze
  • Pfaffia paniculata f. lanceolata R.E.Fr.
  • Pfaffia paraguayensis Chodat
  • Xeraea paniculata (Mart.) Kuntze

The root of this rambling ground vine found in South America is used traditionally as a medicine and tonic. Nicknamed "para tudo" in Brasil, which means "for everything", suma is a traditional herbal medicine.[3] The indigenous peoples of the Amazon region have used suma root for generations for a wide variety of health purposes, including as a general tonic; as an energy, rejuvenating, and sexual tonic; a calming agent; to treat ulcers; and as a cure-all for at least 300 years.[4]

The root contains phytochemicals including saponins (pfaffosides),[5] pfaffic acid, beta-ecdysterone, glycosides, and nortriterpenes.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Hebanthe erianthos (Poir.) Pedersen". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2022-04-10.
  2. ^ "Hebanthe erianthe (Poir.) Pedersen". The International Plant Names Index. Retrieved 2022-04-10.
  3. ^ Vieira, Roberto F. (1999) Conservation of medicinal and aromatic plants in Brazil. p. 152–159. In: J. Janick (ed.), Perspectives on new crops and new uses. ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA.
  4. ^ a b Leslie Taylor (2005). "The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs". Tropical Plants Database.
  5. ^ "Triterpenoids from Brazilian Ginseng, Pfaffia paniculata" Jing Li, Atul N. Jadhav, Ikhlas A. Khan Tropical Plant Database Archived May 9, 2007, at the Wayback Machine