Family

Araliaceae

Genus

Panax

Common Name

Vietnamese ginseng

Plant Figure

Description

Panax vietnamensis or Vietnamese ginseng is a species of the ginseng genus Panax. P. vietnamensis is a perennial plant, growing from 40 centimetres (16 in) to 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) tall. It may be distinguished from other ginseng species by the notches on its roots. In Vietnam, P. vietnamensis is found primarily in the Mount Ngọc Linh area of Kon Tum and Quảng Nam provinces, from which its local name is derived. It is also found in the Mount Ngọc Lum Heo and Mount Ngọc Am areas of Quảng Nam Province. Its habitat is areas under jungle leaf canopy or near running water, at altitudes above 1,200 metres (4,000 ft). The species is also reported from central and southern provinces of China. From the rhizome and root of this plant, 37 saponins including 14 new compounds were isolated. Some of them were common to other Panax spp., but the general yields in this species were very high. Among them, an ocotillol-type saponin majonoside-R2 (MR2) was remarkable in its yield (5.3%).