Scrophularia ningpoensis, commonly known as the Ningpo figwort or Chinese figwort, is a perennial plant of the family Scrophulariaceae (the figwort family). It reaches 1 m by 0.4 m. Its flowers are hermaphrodite, insect-pollinated and the plant usually flowers in late spring.
The genus Scrophularia of the family Scrophulariaceae comprises about 200 species of herbaceous flowering plants commonly known as figworts.
Scrophularia species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Phymatopus hectoides. This plant has been known to traditional Chinese medicine for as long as 2000 years. Its root is harvested in autumn in Zhejiang province and neighboring areas, then dried for later use.
Extracts of Scrophularia have been shown to mediate swelling, cell infiltration and proliferation of activated T-lymphocytes in joint tissues.
