botanical record · discovered
Fishwort
Houttuynia cordata
Fishwort · Dokudami · Yu Xing Cao · Amis-amisan · Chameleon · Chameleon Flower · Chameleon Plant · Chameleon-flower · Chameleon-flower (EN) · Chameleon-plant · Chinese Lizard Tail · Chinese lizard tail · Fish mint · Fish-plant · Fishy-smell herb · Heartleaf Houttuynia · Heartleaf houttuynia · Houttuynia · Houttuynie
At a glance
Origin / distribution: China, Japan*, Japan, India, Indochina, Vietnam
Cultural traditions: not documented
Recorded uses: Abscess, Alexiteric, Anodyne, Antidote
Science studied: ACETALDEHYDE, CAPRIC-ACID, CAPRIC-ALDEHYDE, DECANOYL-ACETALDEHYDE
Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗
Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.
Names and identity
Family: Saururaceae
Scientific name: Houttuynia cordata
Common names: Fishwort, Dokudami, Yu Xing Cao, Amis-amisan, Chameleon, Chameleon Flower, Chameleon Plant, Chameleon-flower, Chameleon-flower (EN), Chameleon-plant, Chinese Lizard Tail, Chinese lizard tail, Fish mint, Fish-plant, Fishy-smell herb, Heartleaf Houttuynia, Heartleaf houttuynia, Houttuynia, Houttuynie
POWO: 927252-1 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone
History
The source record documents this plant in China, Japan*, Elsewhere, Japan, India, Indochina, Vietnam.
It records these historical or traditional applications:
- Abscess
- Alexiteric
- Anodyne
- Antidote
- Antiseptic
- Anus
- Aperient
- Astringent
show 37 more documented entries
- Bactericide
- Bite(Snake)
- Bones
- Cancer(Stomach)
- Cough
- Diuretic
- Dysentery
- Dyspepsia
- Enteritis
- Eye
- Female
- Fertility(Veterinary)
- Fever
- Gonorrhea
- Internulcer
- Lung
- Malaria
- Measles
- Pertussis
- Pharyngitis
- Piles
- Poison
- Refrigerant
- Skin
- Suppurative
- Swelling
- Urethritis
- Urogenital
- Emmenagogue
- Laryngitis
- Chest
- Prolapse
- Resolvent
- Tumor(Lung)
- Vesicant
- Gastritis
- Sore
This summary is limited to the cited source record.
Origins and distribution
- China
- Japan*
- Elsewhere
- Japan
- India
- Indochina
- Vietnam
Documented cultural uses
- Abscess
- Alexiteric
- Anodyne
- Antidote
- Antiseptic
- Anus
- Aperient
- Astringent
- Bactericide
- Bite(Snake)
- Bones
- Cancer(Stomach)
show 33 more documented entries
- Cough
- Diuretic
- Dysentery
- Dyspepsia
- Enteritis
- Eye
- Female
- Fertility(Veterinary)
- Fever
- Gonorrhea
- Internulcer
- Lung
- Malaria
- Measles
- Pertussis
- Pharyngitis
- Piles
- Poison
- Refrigerant
- Skin
- Suppurative
- Swelling
- Urethritis
- Urogenital
- Emmenagogue
- Laryngitis
- Chest
- Prolapse
- Resolvent
- Tumor(Lung)
- Vesicant
- Gastritis
- Sore
Cultural record detail
These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.
- Abscess · China · "
- Alexiteric · China · "
- Anodyne · China · "
- Antidote · Japan* · "
- Antiseptic · China · "
- Anus · China · "
- Aperient · Japan* · "
- Astringent · China · "
- Bactericide · Elsewhere · "
- Bite(Snake) · China · "
- Bones · China · "
- Cancer(Stomach) · Japan · "
- Cough · China · "
- Diuretic · Japan · "
- Diuretic · Japan* · "
- Diuretic · China · "
- Diuretic · India · "
- Diuretic · Elsewhere · "
- Dysentery · China · "
- Dysentery · India · "
- Dyspepsia · China · "
- Enteritis · China · "
- Eye · India · "
- Female · Elsewhere · "
34 additional documented entries remain in the source record.
Contemporary uses
Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.
Scientific research
Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.
Indexed research records
- Integrated metabolomics and transcriptomics analysis of flavonoids in different parts of Houttuynia cordata. · 2026 source ↗
- Mechanism of action of Houttuynia cordata extract and its application in animal production. · 2026 source ↗
- Environmental Factors Shape Terpenoid Accumulation and Predicted Bioactivity in Houttuynia cordata. · 2026 source ↗
Scientific compounds
Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.
- ACETALDEHYDE
- CAPRIC-ACID
- CAPRIC-ALDEHYDE
- DECANOYL-ACETALDEHYDE
- HYPERIN
- IRON
- 3-KETODECANAL
- MAGNESIUM
- METHYL-N-NONYL-KETONE
- ALPHA-PINENE
- BETA-PINENE
- POTASSIUM-SULFATE
- QUERCETIN
- QUERCITRIN
- SODIUM
- ZINC
show 77 more documented entries
- LAURIC-ALDEHYDE
- MYRCENE
- POTASSIUM-CHLORIDE
- RUTIN
- COPPER
- ISOQUERCITRIN
- METHYL-LAURYL-SULFIDE
- POTASSIUM
- REYNOUTRIN
- CALCIUM
- MANGANESE
- CAMPHENE
- AFZERIN
- BETA-MYRCENE
- CAPRYLALDEHYDE
- CARVACROL
- CIS-N-(4-HYDROXYSTYRYL)-BENZAMIDE
- DECANAL
- DODECANAL
- EO
- METHYL-N-UNDECYL-KETONE
- NONANAL
- THYMOL
- TRANS-N-(4-HYDROXYSTYRYL)-BENZAMIDE
- 1,8-CINEOLE
- 1-DECANOL
- 1-DODECANOL
- 1-NONANOL
- AFZELIN
- ARISTOLACTAM-A-II
- BETA-CARYOPHYLLENE
- BETA-SITOSTEROL
- BORNEOL
- BORNEOL-ACETATE
- CARYOPHYLLENE
- CARYOPHYLLENE-OXIDE
- CEPHARANONE-B
- CHLOROGENIC-ACID
- DECAN-1-AL
- DECANOIC-ACID
- DODECAN-1-AL
- FLUORIDE
- GERANIOL
- HUMULENE
- HYPEROSIDE
- LAURIC-ACID
- LAURYL-ALDEHYDE
- LIMONENE
- LINALOOL
- LINOLEIC-ACID
- LINOLENIC-ACID
- METHYL-DECANOATE
- METHYL-DODECANOATE
- METHYL-HEXADECANOATE
- METHYL-NONYL-KETONE
- N-DECYLALDEHYDE
- N-DODECYLALDEHYDE
- NOR-CEPHARADIONE-B
- OCTAN-1-AL
- OLEIC-ACID
- P-CYMENE
- PALMITIC-ACID
- PHYTOL
- PIPEROLACTAM-A
- QUERCETIN-3-O-BETA-L-RHAMNOSIDE
- SESAMIN
- STEARIC-ACID
- STIGMAST-4-ENE-3,5-DIONE
- TETRADECANOIC-ACID
- 1,3,5-TRIDECANOYLBENZENE
- (+)-LIMONENE
- 1,4-DIHYDROPYRIDINE
- 2-NONYL-5-DECANOYLPYRIDINE
- 3,5-DIDECANOYLPYRIDINE
- (+)-SESAMIN
- UNDECAN-2-ONE
- VOMIFOLIOL
Legality
No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.
Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.
Reference images
Sources
Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP
World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0
show claim source mapping
- identity · DH-SRC-0030
- documented_uses · DH-SRC-0030
- compounds · DH-SRC-0030
- taxonomy · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗
- common_names · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗
- countries · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗
- wfo_taxonomy · DH-SRC-0003 · source ↗
- cultural_records · DH-SRC-0030 · source ↗
- powo_taxonomy · DH-SRC-0001 · source ↗
- wcvp_taxonomy · DH-SRC-0002 · source ↗
CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive
Contributions and revisions
checking published revisions…
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