Isodon lophanthoides
StarIsodon lophanthoides
Synonyms: Rabdosia lophanthoides, Plectranthus gerardianus, Plectranthus lophanthoides, Isodon lophanthoides var. gerardianus, Plectranthus lophanthoides var. gerardianus, Hyssopus lophanthoides, Plectranthus striatus var. gerardianus, Rabdosia lophanthoides var. gerardiana
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
In Chinese folk and Yao ethnomedicine, Isodon lophanthoides (xihuangcao) is used chiefly to treat jaundice-type hepatitis and cholecystitis, taken as a decoction or herbal tea of the aerial parts to clear heat and benefit the liver and gallbladder (Liu et al., 2025). Species pharmacology shows hepatoprotective activity, including amelioration of experimental liver fibrosis and injury.
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Botanical Description
Isodon lophanthoides (synonym Rabdosia lophanthoides), known in Chinese as xihuangcao, is a perennial aromatic herb of the mint family native to China and the Himalayan region, growing in moist forest margins, thickets, grassy slopes and along streams at low to moderate elevations. It has erect to ascending, four-angled, finely hairy stems and opposite, ovate to lanceolate leaves with toothed (serrate) margins and a softly hairy, gland-dotted surface. The small, two-lipped flowers are white to pale pinkish-purple and are borne in slender, branched, terminal and axillary panicles of cymes. The fruit consists of four tiny smooth nutlets. As in many Isodon species the foliage contains bitter ent-kaurane diterpenoids. The dried aerial parts are harvested and processed into the herbal teas, granules and health products marketed as xihuangcao in southern China.
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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