Dorstenia contrajerva L.

Anthurium konde (Dorstenia contrajerva) is a herb up to 25 cm tall of the Moraceae family, originating from southern Mexico to northern South America. Powdered simplisia from its roots and leaves is sometimes mixed into tobacco to enhance the flavor of traditional cigarettes. This plant is traditionally believed to treat diarrhea, snake bites, and malaria.

This plant can live in soil conditions rich in humus, moist and highly nutritious, up to elevations of 1,800 m above sea level, optimal soil pH 5-6.5 and tolerant up to pH 4.5–7, rainfall 1,500-4,000 mm/year, but tolerant up to 1,200-5,000 mm/year.

• Roots have a rhizome.
• Stem very short and covered with the base of the leaf stalk.
• Leaves arrowhead shaped, 35-40 cm long, 27-30 cm wide. The base of the leaf blade is lobed with the lobe positions overlapping each other.
• Flowers compound with a flat base, irregular petal shape, flower stalk 7-25 cm.
• Seeds yellowish in color.

• Propagated generatively (by seed) and vegetatively (cuttings and offshoot separation).
• Seeds will germinate well in a temperature range of 16-21 °C.

Saponins, dorsjervin A, dorsjervin B, psoralen, dorstenin, squalene, sitosterol, cycloartocarpesin, linolenoyl, bergapten, dorsteniol, xanthoarnol.

Treats diarrhea, dysentery, snake bites, worm infections, fever, wounds, malaria, cough, diabetes, toothache.

• Prepare an adequate amount of anthurium konde root, wash thoroughly of any dirt with running water.
• Cut the root into pieces to ease drying.
• Dry in the sun starting from 08:00-12:00.
• Store in airtight plastic.

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