Medicinal Shrubs and Woody Vines: Supplejack, Trumpet Vine and Celastrus, Bittersweet

 

Berchemia scandens, Supplejack

Not much has been written about Berchemia. Peterson Field Guides Eastern and Central Medicinal Plants states:

American Indians used bark or leaf tea as a “blood purifier” and to restore youthful vigor and sexual vitality. Tea of burned stems used for coughs.

(photo By Mason Brock (Masebrock at en.wikipedia) - Photograph by Masebrock. Transferred from en.wikipedia using CommonsHelper., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15389984)

Campsis radicans, Trumpet Vine

Likewise, information is fairly sparse on Trumpet vine. Plants for A Future states:

Medicinal use of Trumpet Vine: The root is diaphoretic and vulnerary (wound healing).

(photo By Fritzflohrreynolds - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31360817)

Celastrus, Bittersweet

Bittersweet, however, has a lot of interesting uses. Celastrus scandens (Climbing Bittersweet) is native to my region, while Celastrus orbiculatus (Oriental Bittersweet) is naturalized.

This is often called “False Bittersweet” or “American Bittersweet” to differentiate it from European Bittersweet, which is in the datura family.

King’s American Dispensatory of 1898 states:

This plant grows in woods and thickets, from Canada to the Carolinas, creeping on hedges and rocks, or twining about other trees, or each other, and ascending to a great height. It flowers in June and bears a scarlet berry, which remains through the winter. The plant thrives most luxuriously in a rich, damp soil. The root is very long, creeping, woody, of a bright-orange color, about ½ inch in thickness, with a thick red, or yellowish-red bark, which is the medicinal part. On account of the similarity of name, bittersweet, the plant has been confounded with the Solanum Dulcamara, from which, however, it essentially differs in appearance and therapeutic action. The bark has a bitter, afterward sweetish, rather nauseous taste, and imparts its medicinal properties to water.

Description.—The root-bark occurs in nearly smooth quills, orange-brown externally; whitish and marked with fine striae internally. A second layer of an orange-red hue is exposed on the removal of the somewhat tough outer bark. The stem-bark resembles the above, except that its outer layer has an ashen-gray or brownish-gray color.

Chemical Composition.—Wayne (1872) obtained a white crystalline principle to which the name celastrin was given. Bernhard (Amer. Jour. Pharm., 1882, found the bark to contain starch, gum, sugar, coloring material, volatile oil, two resins, one acid and the other neutral, and a body resembling caoutchouc. Mr. Jacob Hoch (1892), failed to find any volatile constituents (A. P. A., 1892). The coloring matter of Celastrus scandens was investigated by Dr. Keller, who defined its chemical relation to the vegetable coloring matters, xanthin and carotin (Amer. Jour. Pharm., 1896).

Action, Medical Uses, and Dosage.—Alterative, diaphoretic, and diuretic, with some narcotic powers. Used in scrofula, secondary syphilis, chronic hepatic affections, cutaneous affections, leucorrhoea, rheumatism, and obstructed menstruation. Externally an ointment has been successfully employed in inflamed and indurated breasts of nurses, in pruritis vulvae, burns, excoriations, etc. Dose of the decoction, from 2 to 4 fluid ounces, 3 times a day; of the extract, from 5 to 10 grains.

Plants for A Future states:

Medicinal use of Climbing Bittersweet: Climbing bittersweet was employed medicinally by a number of native North American Indian tribes, though it is scarcely used in modern herbalism. The root is diaphoretic, diuretic and emetic. It is a folk remedy for chronic liver and skin ailments (including skin cancer), rheumatism, leucorrhoea, dysentery and suppressed menses. A strong compound infusion, usually combined with raspberry leaf tea, has been used to reduce the pain of childbirth. A poultice of the boiled root has been used to treat obstinate sores, skin eruptions etc. Externally, the bark is used as an ointment on burns, scrapes and skin eruptions. Extracts of the bark are thought to be cardioactive. Many plants in this genus contain compounds of interest for their antitumour activity.

Known hazards of Celastrus scandens: The fruit is poisonous. All parts of the plant are potentially toxic.

Medicinal use of Oriental Bittersweet: The roots, stems and leaves are antiphlogistic, antirheumatic, depurative and tonic. A decoction of the roots and stems is used internally whilst the crushed fresh leaves are used for external applications. The plant is used in the treatment of paralysis, numbness of the four extremities, headache, toothache, spontaneous abscess formation and snake bites. Many plants in this genus contain compounds of interest for their antitumour activity.

Peterson Field Guides Eastern and Central Medicinal Plants tells us:

Root-bark tea induces sweating; diuretic and emetic. Folk remedy for chronic liver and skin ailments, rheumatism, leukorrhea, suppressed menses. Externally, bark used as an ointment for burns, scrapes, skin eruptions. American Indians used this plant as above, also used astringent leaf tea for diarrhea, dysentery. Root bark tea used for pain of childbirth. Bark extracts thought to be cardioactive.

The PDR for Herbal Medicine states:

American Bittersweet has diuretic and diaphoretic effects.

(photo Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=666559)

This article is an excerpt from 

Medicinal Shrubs and Woody Vines of The American Southeast An Herbalist's Guide

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Disclaimer

The information on this site is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or condition. Nothing on this site has been evaluated or approved by the FDA. I am not a doctor. The US government does not recognize the practice of herbal medicine and their is no governing body regulating herbalists. Therefore, I'm just a guy who studies herbs. I am not offering any advice. I won't even claim that anything I write is accurate or true! I can tell you what herbs have "traditionally been used for." I can tell you my own experience and if I believe an herb helped me. I cannot, nor would I tell you to do the same. If you use any herb I, or anyone else, mentions you are treating yourself. You take full responsibility for your health. Humans are individuals and no two are identical. What works for me may not work for you. You may have an allergy, sensitivity or underlying condition that no one else shares and you don't even know about. Be careful with your health. By continuing to read my blog you agree to be responsible for yourself, do your own research, make your own choices and not to blame me for anything, ever.