Uvaria siamensis

Uvaria siamensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Magnoliids
Order:	Magnoliales
Family:	Annonaceae
Genus:	Uvaria
Species:	U. siamensis
Binomial name
Uvaria siamensis (Scheff.) L.L.Zhou, Y.C.F.Su & R.M.K.Saunders (2009)
Synonyms[1]
Fissistigma schefferi (Pierre ex Finet & Gagnep.) Merr. (1919) Melodorum fruticosum Lour. (1790) Melodorum schefferi Pierre ex Finet & Gagnep. (1906) Melodorum siamense (Scheff.) Bân (1974) Rauwenhoffia siamensis Scheff. (1885 publ. 1881) Unona dumetorum Dunal (1817), nom. superfl. Uvaria godefroyana Finet & Gagnep. (1906) Uvaria godefroyana var. nervosa Finet & Gagnep. (1907)

Uvaria siamensis, locally^[where?] called nom-maew (Thai: นมแมว), is a plant in the family Annonaceae.^[1][2] Uvaria siamensis is a shrub or liana native to Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and northern Peninsular Malaysia.^[1]

It is related to the ylang-ylang. It requires little care and can even be kept in containers, blooming from spring until fall. Despite their plainness, the flowers of the genus Uvaria have a aroma that can travel very far. It is for this that Asian gardeners include it among their favorite garden plants. This plant can tolerate some shade; however, lack of sunlight adversely affects flowering.

Description

Uvaria siamensis a perennial plant with a small trunk, and a height of 1–2 meters, darkly-coloured stalks and drooping branches. Their leaves are especially monocotyledonous, long, and sharp. A single one can bloom as group of 1–3 flowers, which are yellow-green in color, 1–2 cm large, very fragrant, and have 6 petals. The flowers bloom throughout the year.

Cultivation

This tree is a good container plant. It is relatively problem-free and requires little care. Even though the flowers are inconspicuous, a single flower has a quite strong and pleasant aroma, thus the plant has a high value and is often used in Asian gardens.

Properties

It is an essential ingredient in an Indonesian herbal concoction which includes, besides nom-maew, ginseng root and powdered corn. It has a pleasant taste and aroma, and claims to have a variety of benefits including: improving muscle one, expands circulation, reduces blood pressure, restores a regular heart rhythm, increases red blood cell count, reduces pain and fatigue, cleanses the body of toxic substances and stimulates intellectual activity.

References

1. "Uvaria siamensis (Scheff.) L.L.Zhou, Y.C.F.Su & R.M.K.Saunders | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
2. Salae, Abdul-Wahab; Chairerk, Orapan; Sukkoet, Piyanut; Chairat, Therdsak; Prawat, Uma; Tuntiwachwuttikul, Pittaya; Chalermglin, Piya; Ruchirawat, Somsak (2017-03-01). "Antiplasmodial dimeric chalcone derivatives from the roots of Uvaria siamensis". Phytochemistry. 135: 135–143. doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2016.12.009. ISSN 0031-9422.

Further reading

• Alex Butova. (ม.ป.ป.). Fragrant Plants of Annonaceae Family. เข้าถึงได้จาก Top Tropicals: http://toptropicals.com/html/toptropicals/articles/trees/annonaceae_fragrant.htm
• นันทวัน บุณยะประภัศร, อรนุช โชคชัยเจริญพร, และ มหาวิทยาลัยมหิดล คณะเภสัชศาสตร์. (2541). สมุนไพรไม้พิ้นบ้าน เล่ม2. กรุงเทพ: กรุงเทพฯ : คณะเภสัชศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยมหิดล.