A perennial climber growing to 1m. Roots densely fibrous, fragrant. Stems slender, erect, to 1 m, glabrous or hispid below, rigid, unbranched or with few branches from upper parts. Leaves opposite; petiole ca. 3 mm; leaf blade lanceolate to linear, 5-13 × 0.5-1.5 cm, stiffly papery, glabrous or adaxially puberulent, ciliate, base and apex acute; lateral veins obscure. Inflorescences terminal and from upper nodes, laxly branched, to 7 cm; peduncle 2.5-4 cm. Pedicel 5-10 mm. Sepals lanceolate, 1-1.5 × ca. 0.5 mm; glands present or absent. Corolla yellow-green, subrotate, glabrous; tube short; lobes ovate, 4-5.5 × 1.5-3 mm. Corona deeply 5-lobed; lobes ovate-oblong, fleshy, slightly laterally compressed, apex obtuse, as long as anthers, adaxially keeled up to middle and adnate to anthers. Anther appendages semiorbicular, slightly shorter than stigma head; pollinia oblong. Stigma head subumbonate. Follicles lanceolate in outline, 4-8 cm × 3-8 mm. Seeds oblong, ca. 5 × 3 mm; coma 1.5-3 cm.

Anodyne and carminative (decoction of the root or whole plant)

Plants For A Future
Flora of China

A decoction of the root or whole plant stimulates blood circulation and is used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, lumbago, abdominal pain and vomiting, acute gastro-enteritis, infantile malnutrition due to intestinal parasites, toothache, hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, ascites, snake bites and traumatic injuries. The root is used to quiet nervous afflictions and travel sickness. For urticaria, eczema, and tinea, the root is taken internally or decocted for washing. In recent years, the roots has been used to alleviate pain due to cancer as well as post-operative pain.

Jing-Nuan Wu. An Illustrated Chinese Materia Medica. P: 240, Oxford University Press, Inc.2005.