Flemingia macrophylla
StarFlemingia macrophylla
Synonyms: Rhynchosia sericea, Crotalaria macrophylla, Flemingia latifolia var. hainanensis, Rhynchosia crotalarioides, Flemingia macrophylla var. congesta, Maughania macrophylla f. poecilantha, Flemingia latifolia var. siamensis, Maughania macrophylla f. viridula, Maughania tomentosa, Flemingia macrophylla var. viridis, Maughania brevipes, Maughania sericans, Flemingia sericans, Maughania macrophylla, Flemingia trinervia, Hedysarum trinervium, Flemingia congesta, Flemingia congesta var. viridis, Flemingia congesta var. tomentosa, Flemingia brevipes, Crotalaria cavaleriei
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
The root of Flemingia macrophylla is a long-used herbal medicine in southern China, known in Chinese as da ye qian jin ba and employed in both traditional Chinese medicine and in the folk medicine of the Zhuang and Yao peoples. It is used to dispel wind and dampness, strengthen the bones and muscles, and promote blood circulation, and is applied to fractures, traumatic injury, arthritis, rheumatism and influenza. Pharmacological studies of root extracts have confirmed analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity (Discover Pharmaceutical Sciences review, 2025; Chinese Medicine, 2023).
Botanical Description
Flemingia macrophylla is a robust, erect, woody shrub of the legume family (Fabaceae) widely distributed across southern China, the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, where it grows in open forest, grassland and disturbed ground and is also planted for forage and as a soil-improving cover crop. It reaches up to about 2 to 3 metres tall, with angular, silky-hairy young stems. The leaves are distinctive trifoliate leaves with large, papery leaflets, the central one broadly lanceolate and prominently three-veined from the base, the surfaces dotted with tiny glands. The pea-like flowers are pink to purplish-red and crowded into dense, bristly, axillary or terminal racemes subtended by conspicuous folded bracts. The fruit is a small, inflated, hairy pod containing one or two shiny dark seeds. The thick, woody roots are the part valued in herbal medicine.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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