![Schisandra rubriflora](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Schisandra_rubriflora.jpg)
''Schisandra'', the magnolia vines, is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of twining shrubs that generally climb on other vegetation. Various authors have included the plants in the
Illiciaceae
Illiciaceae A.C.Sm. was a family of flowering plants recognized in a number of systems of plant taxonomy. The Illiciaceae is not recognized as a distinct family by the APG III system of plant taxonomy, the most well accepted system in use today ...
''Schisandra'' (also spelled ''Schizandra'') is native to Asia and North America, with a
center of diversity in China.
[
Some species are commonly grown in gardens as ornamentals. It is a hardy ]deciduous
In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...
climber which thrives in almost any kind of soil; its preferred position is on a sheltered, shady wall. It may be propagated by cutting
Cutting is the separation or opening of a physical object, into two or more portions, through the application of an acutely directed force.
Implements commonly used for wikt:cut, cutting are the knife and saw, or in medicine and science the scal ...
s of half-matured shoots in August.
Despite its common name "magnolia vine", ''Schisandra'' is not closely related to the true magnolias.
Uses
Its dried fruit is sometimes used medicinally. The berries
A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, rasp ...
of '' S. chinensis'' are given the name ''wu wei zi'' in Chinese ( 五 味 子; pinyin: wǔ wèi zi), which translates as "five flavor fruit" because they possess all five basic flavors in Chinese herbal medicine: salty, sweet, sour, pungent (spicy), and bitter. In traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logical mechanism of action ...
it is used as a remedy for many ailments: to resist infections, increase skin health, and combat insomnia, coughing, and thirst.
Species
;accepted species[
]
Chemistry
The extract of ''S. rubriflora'', a native of the Yunnan
Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is ...
province, was found to contain complex and highly oxygenated nortriterpenoids called rubriflorins A-C.[Xiao, W.-L. ''et al.''. ''J. Nat. Prod.'' 2007, Web release : May 10th.]
See also
* ''Schisandra chinensis
''Schisandra chinensis'' (common name: magnolia-vine, Chinese magnolia-vine, schisandra), whose fruit is called magnolia berry or five-flavor-fruit (from Chinese 五味子 ''wǔwèizi''), is a vine plant native to forests of Northern China, the ...
''
* '' Kadsura japonica''
References
External links
* Schisandraceae ensu strictoin th
''Flora of North America''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1277423
Angiosperm genera
Medicinal plants
Taxa named by André Michaux