About Stephania japonica (Thunb.) Miers
Stephania japonica (Thunb.) Miers is a dioecious, prickle-free vine. It produces small greenish flowers that grow in compound umbels, which emerge from leaf axils during warmer months. The inflorescences range from 4 to 8 cm in length. Its fruit is an oval drupe, coloured orange or red, that measures 2 to 5 mm long. A defining characteristic of this species is its peltate leaves, where the leaf stem attaches to the leaf blade away from the leaf edge. This vine is widely distributed: it grows as far south as Eden, New South Wales in Australia, extending north through Queensland. It is also found in Japan, India, Nepal, and many other regions across south-east Asia and the Pacific. The specific epithet "japonica" comes from the fact that the original type specimen of this species was collected in Japan. The variety of Stephania japonica found in New South Wales is called bicolor, named for the leaf underside being noticeably paler than the upper leaf surface.
