Botany
Ditiran is a slightly hairy or nearly smooth vine, reaching a length of 5 to 6 meters, with drooping branches. Leaves are entire, ovate to oblong-ovate, 7 to 14 centimeters long, with pointed tips and subtruncate bases. Racemes are slender, elongated, drooping, 20 to 40 centimeters long, and borne in the upper axils. Flowers are numerous, shortly pedicelled, greenish-white, with reflexed segments, and about 1.5 millimeter long. Stamens are white and erect. Fruit is ovoid, fleshy, red, about 4 millimeters long.

Distribution
- Common in thickets at low and medium altitudes in Ilocos Norte to Batangas Provinces in Luzon; and in Mindoro.
- Also occurs in India to China and southward to Australia.

Properties
- Plant thought to be poisonous to a certain degree; the root can cause violent sneezing.

Constituents
- Fruits yielded a new triterpenoid saponin, 3-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1----3)-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl]-28-O-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl (1----2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-3 beta-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oate, with two known saponins, 3-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1----3)-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl]-3 beta- hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid and 3-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1----3)-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl]-28-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-3 beta- hydroxyolean-12-en-oate.

Parts used
Leaves and roots.

Uses
Folkloric
- In the Philippines decoction of leaves used for dysentery.
- In Java, mucous obstruction of the nose is treated by draining the nostrils with an infusion of the root with vinegar and alum.
- Some consider the root "poisonous" to a certain degree, or an irritant, as it can cause violent sneezing.
- Leaves are applied to sores.
- In the northwest Himalayas, roots used as sternutatory; least as antiseptic, applied on boils and sores.

Studies
• New Saponins: Study of fruits yielded a new triterpenoid saponin together with two known saponins. (See constituents above).

Availability
Wild-crafted.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
A new saponin from Deeringia amaranthoides / Sati O P, Bahuguna S et al / J-Nat-Prod. 1990 Mar-Apr; 53(2): 466-9
(2)
Deeringia amaranthoides (Lam.) Merr. (accepted name) / Chinese names / Catalogue of Life, China
(3)
Medicinal Plants of Sewa River Catchment Area in the Northwest Himalaya and its Implication for Conservation / Mahroof Khan, Satish Kumar and Irshad Ahmed Hamal / Ethnobotanical Leaflets 13: 1113- 39, 2009.