Schisandra

{{Short description|Family of shrubs}} {{Automatic taxobox | name = Magnolia vine | image = Schisandra sinensis.jpg | image_alt = A plant with a grey stem and green leaves | image_caption = ''Schisandra chinensis'' | taxon = Schisandra | authority = Michx.<ref>[https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/410891#page/239/mode/1up Michaux, André. 1803. Flora Boreali-Americana 2: 218–219, pl. 47. ]</ref> | synonyms_ref = <ref name=h>[http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=381268 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]</ref> | synonyms = *''Schizandra'', common misspelling *''Stellandria'' Brickell *''Sphaerostema'' Blume *''Maximowiczia'' Rupr. }} [[File:Schisandra rubriflora.jpg|alt=Two red flowers, each with five petals|thumb|225px|Flowers of ''Schisandra rubriflora'' at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK]]

'''''Schisandra''''', the '''magnolia vines''', is a genus of twining shrubs that generally climb on other vegetation. Various authors have included the plants in the Illiciaceae.<ref>Hutchinson, J. 1973. The Families of Flowering Plants, ed. 3. Oxford. Pp. 161-162. Smith, A. C. 1947. The families Illiciaceae and Schisandraceae. Sargentia 7: 1-224.</ref>

''Schisandra'' (also spelled ''Schizandra'') is native to Asia and North America, with a center of diversity in China.<ref name=h/><ref>[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=129475 Flora of North America vol 3]</ref><ref>[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=129475 Flora of China Vol. 7 Page 41 <big>五味子属</big> wu wei zi shu ''Schisandra'' Michaux, Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 218. 1803. ]</ref>

Some species are commonly grown in gardens as ornamentals. It is a hardy deciduous climber which thrives in almost any kind of soil; its preferred position is on a sheltered, shady wall. It may be propagated by cuttings of half-matured shoots in August.

Despite its common name "magnolia vine", ''Schisandra'' is not closely related to the true magnolias.

==Uses== Its dried fruit is sometimes used medicinally. In China, the berries of ''S. chinensis'' are given the name {{Transliteration|zh|wǔwèizǐ}} ({{zh|c=五味子|l=five flavor fruit|labels=no}}) because they possess all five basic flavors in Chinese herbal medicine: salty, sweet, sour, pungent (spicy), and bitter. In traditional Chinese medicine it is used as a remedy for many ailments: to resist infections, increase skin health, combat insomnia, coughing, and thirst.<ref>Panossian A., Wikman G. Pharmacology of ''Schisandra chinensis'' Bail.: An overview of Russian research and uses in medicine . ''Journal of Ethnopharmacology''. Vol 118/2 pp 183-212. {{doi|10.1016/j.jep.2008.04.020}}</ref>

==Species== ;accepted species<ref name=h/> {{Columns-list|colwidth=30em| *''Schisandra arisanensis'' - S China incl Taiwan *''Schisandra bicolor'' - Guangxi, Hunan, Yunnan, Zhejiang *''Schisandra chinensis'' - Russian Far East, NE China, Korea, Japan *''Schisandra elongata'' - Java *''Schisandra glabra'' - Hidalgo, United States (LA AR MS AL TN KY GA FL SC NC)<ref>[http://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Schisandra%20glabra.png Biota of North America Program 2013 county distribution map, ''Schisandra glabra'']</ref> *''Schisandra glaucescens'' - Chongqing, Hubei *''Schisandra grandiflora'' - Tibet, Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan, Assam, Uttarakhand *''Schisandra henryi'' - S China *''Schisandra incarnata'' - Hubei *''Schisandra lancifolia'' - Sichuan, Yunnan *''Schisandra longipes'' - Guangdong, Guangxi *''Schisandra macrocarpa'' - Yunnan *''Schisandra micrantha'' - Manipur, Yunnan, Myanmar *''Schisandra neglecta'' - Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan, Assam, Myanmar, Yunnan *''Schisandra parapropinqua'' - Guizhou, Yunnan *''Schisandra perulata'' - Thailand, Vietnam *''Schisandra plena'' - Arunachal Pradesh, Yunnan *''Schisandra propinqua'' - China, Assam, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Java, Bali *''Schisandra pubescens'' - Sichuan, Hubei *''Schisandra pubinervis'' - Hubei, Sichuan *''Schisandra repanda'' - Korea, Japan *''Schisandra rubriflora'' - Arunachal Pradesh, Yunnan, Myanmar, Sichuan *''Schisandra sphaerandra'' - Sichuan, Yunnan *''Schisandra sphenanthera'' - China *''Schisandra tomentella'' - Sichuan }}

== Chemistry == The extract of ''S. rubriflora'', a native of the Yunnan province, was found to contain complex and highly oxygenated nortriterpenoids called rubriflorins A-C.<ref>Xiao, W.-L. ''et al.''. ''J. Nat. Prod.'' '''2007''', Web release : May 10th.</ref>

== See also == * ''Schisandra chinensis'' * ''Kadsura japonica''

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == {{Commons}} * Schisandraceae [sensu stricto] in the [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=10803 ''Flora of North America'']

Category:Schisandra Category:Angiosperm genera Category:Medicinal plants Category:Taxa named by André Michaux