Hebanthe erianthos
| Hebanthe erianthos | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Amaranthaceae |
| Genus: | Hebanthe |
| Species: | H. erianthos |
| Binomial name | |
| Hebanthe erianthos (Poir.) Pedersen | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Hebanthe erianthos (many synonyms, including Iresine erianthos and Pfaffia paniculata), known as suma or Brazilian ginseng, is a species of plant in the family Amaranthaceae. The specific epithet is also spelt "eriantha", although the basionym is Iresine erianthos.
The root of this rambling ground vine found in South America is used traditionally as a medicine and tonic. Nicknamed "para tudo" in Brasil, which means "for everything", suma is a traditional herbal medicine.
The root contains phytochemicals including saponins (pfaffosides).