Sida Hemp

Overview

Sida hemp is native to tropical and subtropical Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. The plant is gathered from the wild as a local source of medicines and fiber. In Niger, the Central African Republic, and Cameroon, it is cultivated as a fiber crop for making ropes and nets for hunting and fishing. In some parts of Mexico, leaves are reportedly used to substitute for tea.

Vernacular Names

Sidaguri (Indonesia), Ualis-haba (Tagalog-Philippines), Bai bei huang huo ren (Chinese), Balyé wonzè (French), Kubajute (German), Kingojika (Japanese), Khat mon (Thailand), Ké hoa vàng (Vietnamese), Baryara (Hindi), Petoria-bossie (Afrikaan).

Agroecology

This plant is suitable for light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil, and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral, and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade but prefers moist soil.

Morphology

• Stems - erect, rather woody, with tough stringybark, up to 1.20 m height, reddish in colour
• Leaves - are oblong to rhomboid, 1 to 4 cm long, the apex rounded or pointed, the margins toothed, and the lower surface covered with very short pale hairs.
• Flowers - occur singly in the axil of the leaves. The calyx is green. Corolla is yellow, about 1.5 cm in diameter.
• Fruits - has 8 to 10 carpels which are smooth or somewhat wrinkled, about 2.5 mm long, and awned.
• Seeds - flattened, kidney-shaped, It has 3 mm long and 2 mm in diameter, dark brown to black, glabrous.

Cultivation

It is propagated by seeds.

Chemical Constituents

• Alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, polyphenols, glycosides, saponins, steroids, terpenoids, and resins.
• Secondary metabolites: sitosterol-3-O-b-D-glucopyranoside, stigmasterol-3-O-b-D-glucopyranoside, phaeophytin A, 173-ethoxypheophorbide A, 132-hydroxy phaeophytin B, 173-ethoxypheophorbide B, 5,7-dihydroxy-4'-methoxyflavone, cryptolepinone and a salt of cryptolepine.

Traditional Medicinal Uses

• The plant is considered anti-rheumatic, antipyretic, analgesic, appetite stimulant, anti-asthmatic, CNS depressant, laxative, demulcent, diuretic, emollient, hypotensive, stomachic, sudorific, tonic, and vasorelaxant.
• Roots are considered febrifuge, cooling, astringent, tonic, hepatoprotective, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant.
• The leaves and juice, taken by mouth for stomach cramps.
• The plant is used for poulticing ulcers, boils, swellings, broken bones, cuts, herpes, and as an application for chickenpox.
• Pulped leaves are applied externally for stomach aches.
• Pulped leaves with Blumea balsamifera are applied externally for headaches, and to the gums for toothaches.
• Decoction of bitter bark is used for fever.
• Decoction from any plant part is used for irregular menses.
• Decoction of old roots is used to relieve constipation.
• Plant parts with coconut oil are applied externally for itches and scurf.
• In Cuba, the decoction of roots is used for infantile diarrhea.
• In Indonesia, a traditional medicinal plant for the treatment of gout.
• In India, mucilaginous roots are used as demulcent and emollient.
• In the Philippines, a decoction of the roots is used as a gargle for toothaches; internally, as a stomachic.