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The Kudzu vine (Pueraria lobata) belongs to Fabaceae (the Pea family). It is a perennial herb that is native to Japan, as well as Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula, China, the Philippine and Australia. Today, it has naturalized in North America, India, and Africa. This herb grows in fields and mountains, and can reach up to 10 m long. It is climbing up other trees and produces a dense mantle. The leaves are trilobate. The racemes are borne on the axiles and the magenta papilionacenous flowers bloom from July to September. The Japanese name is an abbreviation for "Kuzu-kazura", which is derived from the fact that the people of Kuzu in the Yoshino region of Nara Prefecture made kudzu powder and sold it. Fiber is strong and water repellent, so it is used as a material for making kudzu cloth. The root is called "Kakkon" and is used as a Chinese herbal medicine. In Taiwanese Chinese, it is called "大葛藤", and in Chinese, it is called "葛麻姆" (ge ma mu).
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