Clerodendrum petasites has a native range that is restricted to Vietnam. There are various reports of the plant also being found in Thailand, where it is sold in local food markets having been harvested both as a wild and a cultivated food. In addition, various research articles state that the plant is commonly used in Thai traditional medicine and that it is also commonly used medicinally in various other countries in the region. It is hard to tie all these reports up with information from the various floras that are being produced in the region, but there is a report in [] (page 190) that the name Clerodendrum petasites had been wrongly applied to plant material that was actually Clerodendrum indicum. I believe that most, if not all the research regarding the edibility and medicinal properties of Clerodendrum petasites should more correctly be directed to Clerodendrum indicum[].

Common Name:

General Information

Clerodendrum petasites is a shrub growing up to 3 metres tall.
The plant is commonly used in traditional medicine, and is both harvested from the wild and cultivated as a food crop in Thailand. It is sold in local markets as a food crop and a medicine[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia - Vietnam

Habitat

Wasteland and shady places in forests[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Butterflies, Bees
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Species in this genus generally grow best in full sun or partial shade in a moist but well-drained soil[].

Edible Uses

The reports on edibility listed below are likely to belong to Clerodendrum indicum (see notes above on taxonomy)

Leaves - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[].

Medicinal

The reports on medicinal uses listed below are likely to belong to Clerodendrum indicum (see notes above on taxonomy)

The roots are used as an antiasthmatic and expectorant[].

The leaves are used to expel worms and are eaten as a bitter-tasting tonic[],

The roots are generally formulated as part of multi-herbal recipes, including the traditional Thai formula 'Ha-Rak' which also includes the roots of Ficus racemona Linn, Capparis micracantha DC, Harrisonia perforate Merr, and Tiliacora triandra Diels. This formula has been registered by the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for antipyretic activity[].
Thai traditional practitioners prescribe the plant as part of an ethnomedical regime to treat asthma, inflammation, fever, cough, and vomiting[].
The plant can also be prepared in a poultice for the traditional treatment of skin disorders, such as rash, abscess, urticarial, snakebites and insect bites[]
Besides Thailand, this plant is also documented in traditional medical systems of other Asian countries including Malaysia, India, Southern China, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Its roots and leaf extracts have been reported to treat rheumatism, asthma and other inflammation diseases, whereas the fruits are usedtfor reduction of fertility in males (not clear if this means to improve or lower fertility[]) and the whole plant is prescribed to relieve malaria[]

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Softwood cuttings
Cuttings of half-ripe wood
Root cuttings
Division of suckers

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