A large, erect, perennial herb, up to 2.5 m tall; rhizome and roots thick, branched, almost fleshy, bright yellow. Leaves partly in a radical rosette, partly spirally arranged on an erect stem; leaves of rosette borne on a thick, subcylindrical petiole, up to 30 cm long, blade orbicular, 50—90 cm x 50—70 cm, base cordate, deeply palmately lobed, 3—5-veined, lobes ovate-oblong or lanceolate, apex acute, entire, dentate or pinnatifid, upper surface normally rough; ocrea large, membranaceous. Inflorescence a loose, hairy panicle with racemiform branches, foliated to the tip; flowers bisexual, fascicled; tepals in 2 whorls of 3, mostly red, sometimes pink or whitish, little or not accrescent after anthesis; stamens 9; ovary trigynous, styles 3, recurved, stigmas thick. Fruit a trigonous nutlet, 10 mm x 8 mm, brown, much longer than perianth, 3-winged, scarious.

Anticholesterolemic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antitumor, aperient, astringent, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, antitumour, cholagogue, demulcent, diuretic, laxative, purgative, stomachic and tonic (root).

Plants For A Future
PROSEA (Plant Resources of South-East Asia) Foundation

Aloe-emodin, chrysophanol, cinnamic acid, emodin, gallic acid, hyperin, physcion, quercitrin, rhein (root)

Employed in a pure form or as part of a mixture against constipation, dysentery, swollen gums, sore throat, sores, furuncles, freckles, burns, jaundice, strangury and after childbirth (rhizome); used as constituents of slimming cures, spring time tonics and blood purifying teas (rhizome extracts); taken internally in the treatment of chronic constipation, diarrhoea, liver and gall bladder complaints, haemorrhoids, menstrual problems and skin eruptions due to an accumulation of toxins (root)

It should not be taken in cases of intestinal obstruction, stenosis, atony, inflammatory colon diseases, appendicitis and haemorrhoids. It should be avoided also during pregnancy. Long-term use should be avoided, as it may result in aggravation of constipation, in albuminuria, liver damage and haematuria.