Gnetum montanum

Gnetum montanum
CITES Appendix III 
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Gymnosperms
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Subclass: Gnetidae
Order: Gnetales
Family: Gnetaceae
Genus: Gnetum
Species:
G. montanum
Binomial name
Gnetum montanum
Markgr.

Gnetum montanum is a species of gymnosperm in the family Gnetaceae that grows as an evergreen liana or woody vine, native to subtropical forests across Asia, including regions of China, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

Description

Gnetum montanum is an evergreen woody climber that can grow up to 10 meters long.[1] The leaves are simple, opposite, and have an ovate or elliptic-oblong shape,[2] with a widely rounded base.[3] The cones are unisexual and borne on primarily or secondarily branching rachises within axillary inflorescences, with the plant being dioecious.[3][4] The male inflorescence contains 20 to 25 flowers, while the female inflorescence has 5 to 8 flowers, with basal hairs that are sparse in comparison.[4]

Cones of a tropical vine in Shenzhen, China

G. montanum propagates through seeds and is cultivated in tropical conditions with partial shade.[5] The seeds vary in shape from ovoid to oblong and are approximately 2.5 centimeters long.[3] They can be yellowish-brown to reddish-brown, often covered with silvery scales,[2] and may have short stipes at the base or none at all.[3] They pollinate from April to June, and the seeds mature from August to October.[2]

Taxonomy

Friedrich Markgraf first described Gnetum montanum in 1930, based on 43 variable syntypes collected from a broad geographic range.[6] The original protologue of G. montanum most likely included representatives of more than one species, which caused confusion and uncertainty.[3] To clarify the identification, in 1999, researchers defined G. montanum by specific morphological characteristics, such as male involucral collars that contain fewer microsporangia and small, stipitate seeds.[6] They designated the syntype Kerr 602 from Thailand as the lectotype, conserving the name G. montanum.[6]

Habitat and distribution

Gnetum montanum is found in subtropical broadleaf rainforests, often near riverbanks, as well as in evergreen and mixed deciduous forests at elevations typically exceed 1,000 meters,[7] reaching up to 2,700 meters.[8] It occurs in sandy loam soil and in association with bamboo.[7]

G. montanum is native to the Andaman Islands and Assam in India, Chittagong in Bangladesh,[9] Bhutan,[10] Cambodia, South, Southeast, and Central China, the East Himalayas, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam.[11]

Uses

The fibers from the bark of Gnetum montanum are used to create gunny bags, ropes, and fishing nets. The seeds produce edible oil that can be eaten when fried or used to make wine. Also, the sap is used as a cold drink.[12]

Traditional medicine

Gnetum montanum is a medicinal plant rich in stilbenes, traditionally used in Vietnam, China, and other Asian countries to treat inflammatory disorders.[13] It is used to treat gouty arthritis in some parts of Asia.[14] It is also used as a folk medicine in China for treatment of bronchitis.[15] The plant is used in Vietnamese folk medicine to treat conditions such as gout and joint pain as well, which are associated with xanthine oxidase activity.[16]

Conservation

Gnetum montanum is classified as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List.[17] It has an EDGE score of -8.07 and an Evolutionary Distinctiveness score of 6.23.[11] It is classified as Appendix III in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species by Nepal.[18]

References

  1. ↑ "Gnetum montanum". Useful Tropical Plants. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  2. 1 2 3 "Gnetum montanum in Flora of China". eFloras. Archived from the original on 2024-11-30. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Kim, Joo Hwan; Won, Hyosig (2016-06-30). "Identification of Cambodian Gnetum (Gnetaceae, Gnetales) species by DNA barcoding". Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy. 46 (2): 163–174. Bibcode:2016KJPT...46..163K. doi:10.11110/kjpt.2016.46.2.163. ISSN 1225-8318.
  4. 1 2 "Gnetum montanum Markgr". India Flora Online. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  5. ↑ Drinkwater, Robyn (2012-05-01). "Gnetum montanum". Botanics Stories. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  6. 1 2 3 Hou, Chen; Wikström, Niklas; Strijk, Joeri S.; Rydin, Catarina (2016-11-01). "Resolving phylogenetic relationships and species delimitations in closely related gymnosperms using high-throughput NGS, Sanger sequencing and morphology". Plant Systematics and Evolution. 302 (9): 1345–1365. Bibcode:2016PSyEv.302.1345H. doi:10.1007/s00606-016-1335-1. ISSN 2199-6881.
  7. 1 2 "Final Species Datasheet" (PDF). Botanical Survey of India.
  8. ↑ "Gnetum montanum Markgr., Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg III, 10: 466 (1930)". Asian Plant. Retrieved 2026-08-26.
  9. ↑ Das, Abhaya P. "Distribution of Gnetum montanum Markgraf (Gnetaceae) in Terai and Duars of West Bengal, India. By: A.P. Das & S.R. Yadav, Pleione 5(1): 205 – 207. 2011". East Himalayan Society for Spermatophyte Taxonomy. ISSN 0973-9467 – via Academia.
  10. ↑ "Plant List". World Plants. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  11. 1 2 "Gnetum montanum Markgr". Plants of the World Online. Kew Science. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  12. ↑ "Discover Nepal's Precious Flora: Rare & Endangered Plants". Source Nepal. 2023-10-13. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  13. ↑ Pham, Duc-Vinh; Tran, Hong-Linh; Nguyen, Thu-Hang; Bui, Hong-Nhung; Nguyen, Hai-Nam; Le, Thanh Nguyen; Pham, Thi Hien; Nguyen, Thuy-Duong (2026-04-24). "Gnetum montanum extract attenuates lipopolysaccharide induced acute lung inflammation through Nrf2 and heme oxygenase 1 mediated redox modulation in macrophages". Scientific Reports. 16 (1): 18995. Bibcode:2026NatSR..1618995P. doi:10.1038/s41598-026-50370-z. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 13276079. PMID 42031984.
  14. ↑ Pham, Duc-Vinh; Tran, Hong-Linh; Nguyen, Thu-Hang; Do, Thi-Hanh; Nguyen, Hoang-Anh; Nguyen, Thuy-Duong (2025-12-03). "Gnetum Montanum Markgr. Extract mitigates gouty arthritis by targeting urate crystal-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation". Journal of Natural Medicines. 80 (1): 130–148. doi:10.1007/s11418-025-01977-5. ISSN 1861-0293. PMID 41340011.
  15. ↑ Xiang, Wei; Jiang, Bei; Li, Xu-Mei; Zhang, Hong-Jie; Zhao, Qin-Shi; Li, Sheng-Hong; Sun, Han-Dong (2002). "Constituents of Gnetum montanum". Fitoterapia. 73 (1): 40–42. doi:10.1016/s0367-326x(01)00370-7. ISSN 0367-326X. PMID 11864762 – via Science Direct.
  16. ↑ Thanh, Nguyen Thi Viet; Cuong, Ho Duc; Tai, Bui Huu; Van Kiem, Phan (2024). "Stilbene derivatives from Gnetum montanum Markgr. with their xanthine oxidase inhibition activity". Vietnam Journal of Chemistry. 62 (6): 766–771. doi:10.1002/vjch.202400069. ISSN 2572-8288 – via Wiley Online Library.
  17. ↑ Gowthami, R.; Sharma, Neelam; Pandey, Ruchira; Agrawal, Anuradha (2021). "Status and consolidated list of threatened medicinal plants of India". Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution. 68 (6): 2235–2263. Bibcode:2021GRCEv..68.2235G. doi:10.1007/s10722-021-01199-0. ISSN 0925-9864. PMC 8148398. PMID 34054223.
  18. ↑ "Commission Regulation (EC) No 318/2008" (PDF). Food and Agriculture Organization. Official Journal of the European Union. 31 March 2008. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
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