Two-color Brandis-herb (Brandisia discolor)

Yi se lai jiang teng
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey / License

Brandisia discolor: Botanical Overview and Distribution

Thriving across the subtropical forests of East and Southeast Asia, this scandent shrub is distinguished by its unique leaf coloration. Brandisia discolor grows in a variety of wooded habitats, climbing over surrounding trees and undergrowth.

Its distribution spans from India through Myanmar and Thailand to southern China. The plant has a long history of observation in regional botanical surveys and is recognized for its ecological contribution.

Taxonomy

  • ∟ царство Plantae
  • ∟ division Tracheophytes
  • ∟ subdivision Spermatophytes (Seed plants)
  • ∟ Angiosperms
  • ∟ eudicots
  • ∟ Superasterids
  • ∟ asterids
  • ∟ order Lamiales
  • ∟ family Paulowniaceae (Paulownia family)
  • ∟ species Brandisia discolor (Two-color Brandis-herb)

Morphology

The species is a woody climber characterized by branches densely covered in greyish-yellow or rust-colored stellate hairs. The foliage shows a stark contrast between its surfaces:

  • Upper surface is glabrous or slightly hairy when young, turning dark green.
  • Lower surface is covered in a dense, velvety greyish-white stellate tomentum.
  • Leaf blade is ovate-lanceolate or elliptic-ovate, reaching up to twelve centimeters in length.

The yellow or orange-red flowers are born singly in the leaf axils. The tubular corolla is outer-coated with stellate pubescence and features a two-lobed upper lip and a three-lobed lower lip.

Flowering season

Autumn to early winter

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Applications

The species is locally harvested in traditional Asian medicine. It is primarily utilized in herbal preparations to reduce inflammation and clear toxins. There are no major commercial or landscape cultivation efforts recorded for this wild climber.

Interesting facts

The specific epithet discolor refers to the contrasting colors of the upper and lower leaf surfaces, which is a key diagnostic feature in the field. This contrasting foliage helps field botanists easily distinguish it from closely related species within the genus.

Geography of distribution

  • Yunnan
  • India
  • Laos
  • Thailand
  • Vietnam
  • Myanmar

Sources

  • POWO: Plants of the World Online
  • WFO: World Flora Online
  • GBIF: Global Biodiversity Information Facility

Technical Information

External Databases: GBIF, POWO, Tropicos