noun
Chinese moonseed; Sinomenium acutum
A climbing plant native to East Asia. The kanji 葛藤 is rarely used for this plant because it is overwhelmingly read as かっとう (conflict).
つづらふじは漢方薬に使われることがある。
Chinese moonseed is sometimes used in traditional Chinese medicine.
noun
complex inter-relationship; tangled struggle
Metaphorical use derived from the image of two vines intertwining and competing. Rare and literary; the common word for 'conflict' is 葛藤 (かっとう).
The tangled struggle between the two families over this land has continued for many years.
The common word for 'conflict' or 'inner struggle', written with the same kanji but read differently. つづらふじ is the plant name or a rare metaphorical term.
The plant name つづらふじ is of native Japanese origin. The kanji 葛藤 literally mean 'kudzu and wisteria', referring to the intertwining vines, which gave rise to the metaphorical sense of tangled conflict.