Higher classification Barrenwort | Genus Epimedium Scientific name Epimedium grandiflorum Rank Species | |
Similar Barrenwort, Berberidaceae, Epimedium × rubrum, Epimedium koreanum, Viola grypoceras | ||
Epimedium grandiflorum (large flowered barrenwort, bishop's hat) is a species of flowering plant in the family Berberidaceae, native to China, Japan and Korea. It is known as dâm dương hoắc in Vietnamese.
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Description
It is a deciduous perennial growing to 30 cm (12 in), with bright red stems with green heart-shaped leaves (copper-tinged when young) which are slightly hairy on the bottom. In spring it produces pink, white, yellow or purple long-spurred flowers.
Cultivation
Numerous cultivars have been selected for garden use, of which the following have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:
Traditional Chinese medicine
E. grandiflorum may have anti-impotence properties due to the presence of icariin, a relatively weak inhibitor of PDE5 in comparison to substances like sildenafil (viagra). Western peer-reviewed research into the efficacy of E. grandiflorum as an aphrodisiac is lacking; however, the herb has been used for this purpose in traditional Chinese medicine and is a common ingredient of herbal remedies for impotence. It is commonly packed in a capsule with other ingredients or sold as herbal flakes or powder with the name "horny goat weed".
