Common Name:

General Information

Flemingia prostrata is an erect perennial plant with slightly-branched stems that become more or less woody; it can grow 30 - 90cm tall[, ].
The plant is cultivated on a large scale in southern China, where it is widely consumed by local inhabitants as an
important nutraceutical for nutritious and therapeutic purposes, especially against rheumatism and associated inflammatory ailments[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - southern Japan (Ryukyu Islands), southern China, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar

Habitat

Open fields, grasslands; at elevations up to 100 - 300 metres[]. An undershrub in forests, often in rather dry forests[]. Drier hills, especially of pine forest, in Myanmar.

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Species in this genus generally succeed in sunny and partially shady positions so long as the soil is well-drained[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The roots are used in the treatment of rheumatism, arthropathy, leucorrhea, menalgia, menopausal syndrome, chronic nephritis, and for improving bone mineral density[, ].

A 70% ethanol extract of the roots showed cytotoxic activity against a P-388 lymphocytic leukaemia cell culture[].
In addition, two prenylated isoflavones, flemiphilippinins A and B, were isolated from the roots and showed significant cytotoxicity in vitro[].
The main bioactive constituents of the plant include flavanones, chalcones, isoflavones, steroids, and triterpenes, many of which have been proven to possess antiinflammatory, oestrogenic, anti-oestrogenic, immunosuppressive, and antioxidant activities[, ]
Phytochemical studies have reported that the root extract contains various isoflavones, flavones, and isoflavanones, which exhibited anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, estrogenic, and anti-estrogenic activities[, ].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Like many species within the family Fabaceae, once they have been dried for storage the seeds of this species may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing[].

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