Stephania pierrei

Botanical identity and natural origin of Stephania pierrei

Stephania pierrei is native to Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. It grows in several forest types and scrub at low elevations, reaching about 400 m in Thailand.

Stephania erecta is an older botanical name now treated as a synonym of Stephania pierrei. Collection of wild tubers has raised conservation concerns. Propagation from cultivated plants reduces reliance on removing mature tubers from wild populations.

Care for Stephania pierrei

• Light: Give bright filtered light; gentle early-day sun can be introduced gradually.
• Temperature: Keep temperatures steady, around 18–26 °C, and avoid prolonged temperatures below 15 °C.
• Humidity: Aim for 50–60% humidity.
• Water: While the plant carries healthy leaves and produces new growth, water thoroughly after most of the mix has dried. Once it becomes leafless and growth stops, water sparingly so the tuber stays firm and mostly dry.
• Potting mix: Use a very free-draining mix and a pot with an open drainage hole. Keep the tuber at its established planting depth when repotting.
• Feeding: Feed lightly while leaves and stems are actively growing.
• Support: Provide a stable pole, plank or trellis and guide the climbing stem onto it as it lengthens.
• Repotting: Once the roots fill the pot, move up only slightly in container size. Replace broken-down mix when needed. If the tuber becomes unstable, secure it in a stable pot suited to the root system, keeping its established planting depth.
• Propagation: Plants can be raised from seed after successful pollination.

Common problems with Stephania pierrei

• The tuber becomes soft or dark: Rot is likely, usually after the root zone has remained wet while growth was slow. Remove rotted tissue back to firm healthy material with a clean tool, discard the rot and allow the wound to dry before repotting.
• Leaves yellow while the tuber remains firm: The plant may be ending a growth cycle. Reduce watering as leaf growth stops and check that the tuber remains firm.
• New stems are thin and weak: Light may be too low. Move the plant gradually toward brighter filtered light.
• Fine webbing, pale speckles or cottony insects appear: Mites or mealybugs may be present. Isolate the plant, identify the pest and use a product labelled for that pest and indoor ornamentals at the stated repeat interval.

Keep Stephania pierrei away from children and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• Its effects after chewing or swallowing are unclear, and plant material can still cause an upset stomach.
• Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop or do not settle.

Who first published Stephania pierrei, and what does the name mean?

Stephania derives from Greek stephanos, crown or wreath, referring to the ring-like arrangement of flower parts. Pierrei honours French botanist Jean Baptiste Louis Pierre.

João de Loureiro established the genus Stephania in 1790 in Flora Cochinchinensis, page 608.

Friedrich Ludwig Emil Diels first described Stephania pierrei in 1910 in Das Pflanzenreich, IV, 94, page 276.