Coptis quinquefolia




Family Ranunculaceae
Subfamily Coptidoideae
Tribe Coptideae
Scientific name Coptis quinquefolia Miquel
Synonyms none
Common name (Japanese common name) baika-ouren (バイカオウレン, 梅花黄連 [meaning: cherry like flower ouren (ouren = Japanese pronunciation of a Chinese traditional medicine (Coptidis Rhizoma))])
(English common name) none
Distribution (Japan) Honshu (west of Fukushima Prefecture)
(Other nations) Taiwan
Habitat Mountane forest
Chromosomal number 2n=16
Description Scapes 4-11cm tall. Leaves 5 leaflets, each 5-13cm long, 3-5.5cm wide. Flowers 12-16mm across, bracts 1.5-5mm long, 5 white calyxs each 6-8mm long, spoon shaped yellow petals 3-3.5mm long, flowering in February to April. Fruits 7-9mm long. Perennial plants.
Reference Coptis quinquefolia Miq.
Coptis quinquefolia Miquel
Novel dibenzo[a,g]quinolizinium compounds (US Patent 4042592/1977)
Anti-fungal substance and preparing method thereof (US Patent 4200629/1980)
Method for promoting fusion of plant protoplast (US Patent 4677066/1987)
Compounds, compositions and method of treatments for improving circulatory performance (US Patent 4761417/1988)
Method for producing secondary metabolites of plants (US Patent 4717664/1988)
Macrolide compounds (US Patent 5057536/1991)
Hair cosmetic composition (US Patent 5053222/1991)
Compositions and method of treatment for improving circulatory performance (US Patent 5153178/1992)
γ-glutamylcysteine transferase (US Patent 5116749/1992)
Dyed textile products and a method of producing them (US Patent 5221289/1993)
Method of cultivating animal or plant cells (US Patent 5180676/1993)
Extracted substance having anti-HIV activity (US Patent 5468487/1995)
Method for production of plant biological products in precocious neomorphic embryoids (US Patent 5850032/1998)
Therapeutic drug for acne vulgaris (US Patent 5807845/1998)
Extracted substance having anti-HIV activity (US Patent 5928645/1999)
Methods and compositions for production of floral scent compounds (US Patent 6558922/2000)
Antibacterial, bactericidal and antiseptic agent, dermatologic preparation and detergent composition (US Patent 6025312/2000)
Callus-specific promoters (US Patent 6031151/2000)
Beauty-treatment method (US Patent 6269817/2001)
Cosmetics (US Patent 6497889/2002)
DNA shuffling of monooxygenase genes for production of industrial chemicals (US Patent 6605430/2003)
Flexible tube for endoscope (US Patent 6616601/2003)
Methods of determining SAM-dependent methyltransferase activity using a mutant SAH hydrolase (US Patent 6610504/2003)
Insecticide obtained from plants for use on termites (US Patent 6641827/2003)
Hair growth inhibitors and composition containing same (US Patent 7285294/2007)
Pharmaceutical composition containing berberine as effective ingredient for preventing and treating addiction or tolerance to morphine (US Patent 7250422/2007)
Method for plant tissue culture (European Patent EP0282164)
Note Coptis ramosa (Makino) Tamura (syn. Coptis quinquefolia Miquel forma ramosa Makino; Coptis quinquefolia Miquel var. pedatoquinquefolia Koidzumi; Coptis quinquefolia Miquel var. ramosa (Makino) Ohwi) is not a synonym of Coptis quinquefolia Miquel. Coptis ramosa occurs only in Yakushima Island.
Recently Coptis quinquefolia Miquel in Shikoku was recognized as a new variety: Coptis quinquefolia Miquel var. shikokumontana Kadota. See Kadota, Y. 2004. Coptis sect. Metacoptis subsect. Japanocoptis (Ranunculaceae), with description of a new species and a new variety from Japan. J. Jpn. Bot. 79: 311-321



February 2008
at Kyoto Botanical Garden
February 2008
at Kyoto Botanical Garden