Kingdom Plantae Subtribe Cajaninae | ||
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Family Fabaceae alt. Leguminosae | ||
Flemingia is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae. It is native to Asia and the species are distributed in Bhutan, Burma, China, India; Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. The genus was founded in 1812. The number of known species is ambiguous due to taxonomic problems; and is usually enumerated as more than 30. Burma and China have the highest record of Flemingia species with 16 each, followed by India (with 15 species), Thailand (11 species), Laos (10 species), Vietnam (8 species), Bhutan (1 species) and Nepal (5 species).
Contents
Species of Flemingia are well known in traditional medicines in various Asian communities. This is attributed to their unique chemical properties, especially those of flavonoids and sterols. Most common medicinal applications are in the treatment of epilepsy, dysentery, stomach ache, insomnia, cataract, helminthiasis, rheumatism, ulcer and tuberculosis.
Description
Members of Flemingia are shrubs, or herbs (or subshrubs); evergreen, or deciduous and perennial. They are generally about 0.2–1.5 m high. The stem is prostrate but weak. Leaves are small to medium-sized; not fasciculate, but alternate. The stem and leaves are pubescent, with dense hairs. Leaf blades are flat dorsoventrally. Flowers are aggregated in ‘inflorescences’; not crowded at the stem bases; in racemes, or in heads, or in panicles. Fruits are aerial, about 6–15 mm long; non-fleshy and hairy.
Species
Some important species include: