| Pueraria montana var. lobata | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Pueraria |
| Species: | |
| Variety: | P. m. var. lobata |
| Trinomial name | |
| Pueraria montana var. lobata (Willd.) Maesen & S.M.Almeida ex Sanjappa & Predeep | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
List
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Pueraria montana var. lobata, the East Asian arrowroot, or kudzu vine, [2] is a perennial plant in the family Fabaceae.
It is called gé (葛) in Chinese, kuzu (クズ, 葛) [3] in Japanese, and chik (칡) or gal (갈; 葛) in Korean.
The Japanese arrowroot, Pueraria montana var. lobata, is a stoloniferous, semi-woody perennial plant [4] that was introduced to the United States in 1876 at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. [5] This climbing vine has a growth rate of 1 ft per day [6] and can rapidly outgrow native vegetation, trees, and other plants by completely covering plants and hindering their access to a light source. [7] Pueraria montana also has large tuberous roots that take up more than half of its biomass [4] and can reach soil depths of up to 16 feet. [8] Vine growth is multi-directional and has a growth rate of 18 m per season which begins at the root crown where vine nodes meet the soil. [9] P. montana also has trifoliate compound leaves with 3 lobe-shaped leaflets [7] that are supported underneath by a hairy stem. [5] Flowers can form on the vines which have a distinct grape-like fragrance [9] , pink and purple-colored petals [10] , and are produced during the blooming season that occurs from July to September. [5] This vine is also capable of growing fruit that are clustered, seed-containing pods covered in distinct hair-like structures. [5]
Pueraria montana var. lobata is a highly invasive species that grows by smothering all other vegetation around it and climbing over seedlings and mature trees. This in turn can kill the smothered plants and impact their mutualistic interactions with other neighboring plants and animals. [4] Infestations of P. montana can decrease biodiversity of various types of plants, animals, and insects that can all be affected by the reduction and killing of natives. [7] This twining vine can also readily invade disturbed and abandoned areas [9] , as well as natural habitats by girdling the trunks of trees and stems reinforced with wood. [8] Due to the tension created from the twining of vines, trees can be tied together and potentially pulled down as the vines wrap around the overall structure of the trees. [4] In addition, the root system of P. montana is leguminous in nature because it helps to enrich the soil through its association with nitrogen-fixing bacteria [4] , but once the plant has infested a particular habitat its rapid growth can be difficult to control. According to Kato-Noguchi (2023), the fixed nitrogen of P. montana cannot only be transferred into the soil, but when in high concentrations, it is capable of leaching into various bodies of water and may impact aquatic ecosystems. [7] Furthermore, this invasive species can also biosynthesize isoprene that gets released into the atmosphere in large amounts and can in turn influence air quality. [7]
Pueraria montana mainly spreads by vegetative propagation via rhizomes, runners, and can produce new plants at the nodes of roots. [8] This perennial plant can also reproduce using sexual reproduction which occurs via insect pollination with bees or other pollinators although seed production and viability is low. [4]
P. montana has a wide range of natural habitats including mixed forests, areas made up of shrubs, alongside the edges of bodies of water, as well as abandoned or disturbed areas. [7] This species grows on loam soil with a pH ranging between 4.5 – 7.0, on soils that are poor in nutrients, or on soils that fall between the pH ranges of 3 and 8. [7] Growth rates are also optimal when P. montana receives the requirement of 1,000 – 15,000 mm of rain per year. In addition, this species may also thrive in areas where winter conditions are mild (ranging between 5 – 15°C) and summer temperatures are hot (above 25°C). Although its large root system allows it to survive in freezing temperatures that can drop to -29°C. [11]
Prevention efforts are typically not completely successful and eradication efforts can be expensive and complex processes. Efficiency of control methods depend on the size of the infestation, proximity to desirable or native species, and accessibility of the infesting patch. [12] Pueraria montana var. lobata exhibits various reproductive pathways which makes it more difficult to control its dispersal. [13] Nevertheless, there are numerous methods utilized to control the spread of Pueraria montana var. lobata, including herbicide application, mowing, grazing, burning, and biological control.
Herbicide applications have effectively produced high destruction rates, leading to decreased infestations and lower management costs, particularly when applied annually. [13] Applications may have to be repeated for up to 10 years to achieve complete eradication, depending on the size and age of the population, as older and larger populations may require twice as much herbicide. [11] Picloram has historically been the most effective herbicide for controlling Kudzu populations but is detrimental to the environment by leaving soil residues and contamination of groundwater. [11] The biodegradable herbicide Glyphosate has been proven to be effective for controlling Kudzu populations, is safe to use in close proximity to water [11] , and does minimal damage to natural habitats. [12] Prescribed burning may be used in some areas following herbicide application in order to clear out leaf litter and catalyze the recolonization of native species. [12] It is essential to vegetate the area with more desirable plant species following eradication.
In a 2012 study, researchers imitated herbivorous feeding by damaging Kudzu populations through leaf cutting and terminal clipping to determine the effectiveness of predation on controlling invasive Kudzu populations in China. [14] It was found that damage to aboveground plant parts reduces the ability of new plants to produce and store carbohydrates, thus reducing its competitive ability. [14] This provides evidence that leaf-feeding insects could serve as host-specific biological control agents against Pueraria montana var. lobata.
Alternative methods have also been used to control Pueraria montana var. lobata populations. Populations that are young in age and small in size can be eradicated with consistent burning, mowing, and grazing. [11] Prescribed burning can be effective after usage of herbicides, but when used on its own, has little effect on the roots and root crown. [15] Mowing is effective for reducing the height of the plants, but is more effective for eradication when used as a precursor to herbicide application. However, mowing can potentially spread portions of Kudzu vines to other areas where it can form a new plant. [15] Eradication by grazing is a lengthy process and can take multiple years and requires a heavy grazing rotation and efforts to concentrate grazing on only Kudzu plants. [15] To prevent re-growth, all root tissue must be destroyed, which can be difficult due to deeply buried root systems. [11]
The plant is native to East Asia (China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea), the Russian Far East, Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam), and the Pacific (New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu). [16]
Pueraria montana var. lobata has several practical applications, as well as uses in medicine and cosmetics. More than 70 phytochemical are present in Kudzu root, with the major groups being isoflavonoids and triterpenoids with their glycosides. [10] 41 phytochemicals, including large amounts of isoflavones have been identified within Kudzu flowers. [10] One of the major phytochemicals in Kudzu plants is puerarin, which has antioxidant and anti-aging properties. [17] The chemical components of both root and flower are useful for both medicinal and cosmetic purposes. The leaves of Kudzu plants can be consumed as vegetables and are high in triterpenoid saponins and isoflavones [10] , which have several health benefits.
The root of Pueraria montana var. lobata, which is rich in bioactive constituents, has been used in traditional medicine in Eastern Asia. [10] The Kudzu flowers have also been used in traditional medicine for conditions such as dysentery and alcoholism. [10] The phytochemicals in kudzu plants contain many antioxidants, which can lower the risk of several disorders such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, and cancer. [17] When used in combination with other medicinal herbs, Pueraria montana var. lobata was found to reduce fasting blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. [18] Pueraria montana var. lobata also has hepatoprotective properties and can be used in combination with other botanical drugs to enhance the effects of treating acute liver injury. [19]
Phytochemical compounds that are present in Pueraria montana var. lobata, particularly flavonoid compounds, which are widely used ingredients for cosmetics, prove Kudzu to be a potential source for bioactive compounds in future cosmetic applications. [10] The phytochemical puerarin, which exists in the root of Kudzu, has been shown to inhibit the formation of advanced glycation end (AGEs) products related to skin-aging. [20] Other studies have shown the potential of phytochemicals to participate in skin regeneration by promoting migration, proliferation, and collagen synthesis and thereby promoting skin pro-inflammatory activity and epithelialization which results in skin regeneration and healing. [10] This makes Pueraria montana var. lobata a potentially useful alternative for the production of anti-aging and skin-regeneration cosmetics. Also, the melanogenesis inhibitory activity of Pueraria montana is of special interest in cosmetics, particularly in Asia where lighter skin is preferred amongst women. [10] Studies have shown that the plant’s extract consists of anti-melanogenesis activity by activating Akt/GSK-3b and interrupting maturation of tyrosinase by inhibiting a-glucosidase. [21]
Additionally, research has been done to examine the use of Pueraria montana var. lobata nanocellulose as a sustainable packaging material. [22] Researchers found that isolated kudzu cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are a suitable reinforcing material for nanocomposites. However, further research is necessary to determine sustainable CNC extraction methods.
The starch powder made from the East Asian arrowroot is called kudzu powder. Kudzu powder is used to make arrowroot tea in traditional medicines of China, Japan and Korea [23] (in Korea the root unprepared is also used).
The production of this powder in Japan was concentrated among the Kuzu (国栖) people who once lived along the Yoshino River in Nara Prefecture, which gave the plant its Japanese (and later loaned into English kudzu ) name. [24]
Kudzu, also called Japanese arrowroot or Chinese arrowroot, is a group of climbing, coiling, and trailing deciduous perennial vines native to much of East Asia, Southeast Asia, and some Pacific islands. It is invasive in many parts of the world, primarily North America.
A vine is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent stems, lianas, or runners. The word vine can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.
Pueraria montana is a species of plant in the botanical family Fabaceae. At least three sub-species are known. It is closely related to other species in the genus Pueraria and the common name kudzu is used for all of these species and hybrids between them. The morphological differences between them are subtle, they can breed with each other, and it appears that introduced kudzu populations in the United States have ancestry from more than one of the species.
Prosopis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. It contains around 45 species of spiny trees and shrubs found in subtropical and tropical regions of the Americas, Africa, Western Asia, and South Asia. They often thrive in arid soil and are resistant to drought, on occasion developing extremely deep root systems. Their wood is usually hard, dense and durable. Their fruits are pods and may contain large amounts of sugar. The generic name means "burdock" in late Latin and originated in the Greek language.
Pueraria is a genus of 15–20 species of legumes native to south, east, and southeast Asia and to New Guinea and northern Australia. The best known member is kudzu, also called Japanese arrowroot. The genus is named after 19th century Swiss botanist Marc Nicolas Puerari.
Imperata cylindrica is a species of perennial rhizomatous grass native to tropical and subtropical Asia, Micronesia, Melanesia, Australia, Africa, and Southern Europe. It has also been introduced to Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Southeastern United States. It is a highly flammable pyrophyte, and can spread rapidly by colonizing disturbed areas and encouraging more frequent wildfires.
Daidzein is a naturally occurring compound found exclusively in soybeans and other legumes and structurally belongs to a class of compounds known as isoflavones. Daidzein and other isoflavones are produced in plants through the phenylpropanoid pathway of secondary metabolism and are used as signal carriers, and defense responses to pathogenic attacks. In humans, recent research has shown the viability of using daidzein in medicine for menopausal relief, osteoporosis, blood cholesterol, and lowering the risk of some hormone-related cancers, and heart disease. Despite the known health benefits, the use of both puerarin and daidzein is limited by their poor bioavailability and low water solubility.
A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, growing where it conflicts with human preferences, needs, or goals. Plants with characteristics that make them hazardous, aesthetically unappealing, difficult to control in managed environments, or otherwise unwanted in farm land, orchards, gardens, lawns, parks, recreational spaces, residential and industrial areas, may all be considered weeds. The concept of weeds is particularly significant in agriculture, where the presence of weeds in fields used to grow crops may cause major losses in yields. Invasive species, plants introduced to an environment where their presence negatively impacts the overall functioning and biodiversity of the ecosystem, may also sometimes be considered weeds.
Daidzin is a natural organic compound in the class of phytochemicals known as isoflavones. Daidzin can be found in Chinese plant kudzu and from soybean leaves.
Puerarin, one of several known isoflavones, is found in a number of plants and herbs, such as the root of the kudzu plant
Bryonia alba is a vigorous vine in the family Cucurbitaceae, found in Europe and Northern Iran. It has a growth habit similar to kudzu, which gives it a highly destructive potential outside its native range as a noxious weed. Other common names include false mandrake, English mandrake, wild vine, and wild hops, wild nep, tamus, ladies' seal, and tetterbury.
Kudzu is an invasive plant species in the United States, introduced from Asia with devastating environmental consequences, earning it the nickname "the vine that ate the South". It has been spreading rapidly in the Southern United States, "easily outpacing the use of herbicide, spraying, and mowing, as well increasing the costs of these controls by $6 million annually". Estimates of the vine's spread vary, from the United States Forest Service's 2015 estimate of 2,500 acres per year to the Department of Agriculture's estimate of as much as 150,000 acres annually.
Pueraria tuberosa, commonly known as kudzu, Indian kudzu, or Nepalese kudzu, Vidarikand, Sanskrit: Bhukushmandi (भूकुशमंडी) is a climber with woody tuberculated stem. It is a climbing, coiling and trailing vine with large tuberous roots. The tubers are globose or pot-like, about 25 centimetres (9.8 in) across and the insides are white, starchy and mildly sweet. Leaves are trifoliate and alternate, while the leaflets are egg-shaped, with round base and unequal sides. They are 18 cm (7.1 in) long and 16 cm (6.3 in) wide and are hairless above. Flowers are bisexual, around 1.5 cm (0.59 in) across and blue or purplish-blue in color. The fruit pods are linear, about 2–5 cm (0.79–1.97 in) long and constricted densely between the seeds. They have silky, bristly reddish-brown hair. Seeds vary from 3 to 6 in number.
Sisyrinchium dichotomum is a rare species of flowering plant in the iris family known by the common names wishbone blue-eyed grass, white irisette, and reflexed blue-eyed grass. It is native to North Carolina and South Carolina in the United States, where fewer than ten populations remain in four counties. It is threatened by the loss and degradation of its habitat and is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.
Arrowroot is a starch obtained from the rhizomes (rootstock) of several tropical plants, traditionally Maranta arundinacea, but also Florida arrowroot from Zamia integrifolia, and tapioca from cassava, which is often labeled arrowroot. Polynesian arrowroot or pia, from Palawan-Philippines arrowroot ("uraro/araro"), Guyana arrowroot and Japanese arrowroot, also called kudzu, Purple arrowroot Canna indica are used in similar ways. In Odisha, India, it is called ପାଳୁଅ (Paḷua).
Arrowroot is to an edible starch obtained from several tropical plants.
Neustanthus is a monotypic genus of flowering plants belonging to the pea family Fabaceae and its tribe Phaseoleae. The only species is Neustanthus phaseoloides, called tropical kudzu. This species is a forage crop and cover crop used in the tropics. It is known as puero in Australia and tropical kudzu in most tropical regions.
Devosia yakushimensis is a Gram-negative, obligately aerobic, motile bacteria from the genus of Devosia with a polar flagellum which was isolated from the plant Pueraria montana var. lobata in Japan.
Euphorbia virgata, commonly known as leafy spurge, wolf's milk leafy spurge, or wolf's milk is a species of spurge native to Europe and Asia, and introduced in North America, where it is an invasive species.
Phaseolus trilobus can refer to:
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