Gen info
- Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume pea, or bean family, is a large and agriculturally important family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, and perennial or annual herbaceous plants, which are easily recognized by their fruit (legume) and their compound, stipulate leaves. It is widely distributed and is the third largest land plant family, behind only Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with about 765 genera and nearly 20,000 known species.
- Lysiphyllum is a genus of flowering plants in the Fabaceae family. It includes 9 species of trees, semi-scandent shrubs, and lianas ranging from India through Southeast Asia to Australasia. The genus was formerly in the genus Bauhinia, but recent molecular phylogenetic analysis confirms that Lysiphyllum is a distinct genus from Bauhinia. (5)

Botany
• Growth form: A large woody liana or vine (with stem diameters reaching up to 6 cm) or flower and fruit compactly as a shrub. Tendrils are typically present on branches. Leaves: Leaves: Distinctive butterfly-like (bifoliolate) compound leaves made of two leaflets (measuring about 18–45 x 12–35 mm) with 3–5 basal veins and a tiny terminal club-like gland. [1, 2] Flowers: Flowers: Woolly pubescent petals (approx. 20 x 8 mm), 10 dimorphic stamens, and a peltate stigma. Fruit and Seeds: Curved, flat pods (10–20 x 2–3 cm) containing 6 to 13 hard, flat seeds. (Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants)

Distribution
- Native to the Philippines. (1)
- In Basilan, Bohol, Busuanga, Cebu, Coron, Dumaran, Negros, Palawan, Panay, Sibutu, Siquijor; in Luzon: Batangas, Quezon, Zambales; in Minda nao: Davao Oriental.
- In coastal areas, in sandy soil, as well as among rocks and tidal forests. (1)
- POWO lists it as native to India and Sri Lanka. (2)

Constituents
- Study of roots isolated six new metabolites: lysiphans A-F (1-6), along with 8 known compounds (7-14). Vine stem yielded lysiphan C (3) and compound 7, along with 5 known isolates (15-19). (see study below) (4)

Properties
- Study suggested antioxidant, aromatase inhibitory properties.

Parts used
Roots, stems, leaves.

Uses
Edibility
- No reliable reports found on edibility.
Folkloric
- In the Philippines, used against blood spitting, bleeding in general, and dysentery. (3)

Studies
• Antioxidant / Aromatase Inhibitory / Vine Stems: The dichloromethane and MeOH extracts of roots have shown antioxidant activity, while the DCM extract of vine stems have shown aromatase inhibition. Seeking responsible bioactive components, study of roots isolated six new metabolites: lysiphans A-F (1-6), along with 8 known compounds (7-14). Vine stem yielded lysiphan C (3) and compound 7, along with 5 known isolates (15-19). Lysiphan B (2) exhibited antioxidant activity with IC50 of 28.8 µM in DPPH assay, 3.5 µM in xanthine/xanthine oxidase (XXO) assay, and 1.5 ORAC units in oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. Compounds 12, 13, and 16 exhibited very strong aromatase inhibitor activity with IC50s of 0.3, 4.7, and 0.9 µM, respectively. Compound 16 also strong strong ORAC activity of 1.9 ORAC units. (4)

Availability
- Wild-crafted.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Fabaceae: Lysiphyllum binatum / Co's Digital Flora Database
(2)
Lysiphyllum binatum / KEW: Plants of the World Online
(3)
Bauhinia / PROSEA Medicinal Plants
(4)
Chemical profile and biological activities of Lysiphyllum binatum (Blanco) de Wit / Surasak Kheawchaum, Sanit Thongnest, Jutatip Boonsombat, Paratchata Batsomboon et al / J Nat Med., 2025; 79(1): pp 45-58 / DOI: 10.1007/s11418-024-01844-9
(5)
Lysiphyllum / Wikipedia

DOI: It is not uncommon for links on studies/sources to change. Copying and pasting the information on the search window or using the DOI (if available) will often redirect to the new link page. (Citing and Using a (DOI) Digital Object Identifier)