Accession Data

Houttuynia cordata

Common Name: Chameleon Plant, Heartleaf, Giap ca, Dokudami

Family: Saururaceae

Country of Origin: Japan south to mountains of Java & Nepal

Description: A perennial herb native to mountainous regions of eastern Asia. Grows to 15 inches high with an indefinite spread as a creeping rhizome in moist locations.

[Vietnamese: diec ca, rau diep ca, vap ca]

Uses: The leaves of the chameleon plant are sometimes found in Vietnamese salads and garnishes.. The rhizome, too, is aromatic.

The plant (Japanese chemotype) contains a variety of flavoids, flavonoid glycosides (afzerin, quercitrin, isoquercitrin) and pyridine alkaloids; the essential oil was found to consist mainly of decanal (capry aldehyd), dodecanal (lauryl aldehyd) and 2-hendecanon (methyl nonyl ketone). (Planta Medica 61, 237, 1995)

Accession Data

Accession #: 198501450

Accession Date: 1985-12-31 00:00:00

Bloom Status: 🪴 Not Flowering

Location: 2316

Quantity: 2

Source: Unknown

Classification

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Subclass: magnoliids

Order: Piperales

Family: Saururaceae

Flowering Data:

This accession has been observed in bloom on:
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003

References

  1. Plants For A Future Website
  2. Gernot Katzer's Spice Dictionary - last visited on 14 November 2002
  3. The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Last accessed on Tuesday, August 23, 2016.
  4. WCSP (2016). World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Last accessed on Tuesday, August 23, 2016.

Images

Houttuynia cordata