''Schisandra'', the magnolia vines, is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

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, ...

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 acti ...

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 province in 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 Kunming. The province borders the C ...

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.

References

External links

* Schisandraceae ensu strictoin th
''Flora of North America''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1277423 Angiosperm genera Medicinal plants Taxa named by André Michaux

Uses

Species

Chemistry

See also

References

External links