Scientific Name
Other Names
Life Form
Family
Medicine - Almost all parts of the plant has medicinal value. Leaves are used as an anti inflammation, root as antiasthmatic, stem and leaves are uses as analgesic. The fruits and leaves are used to cure stomachache, stems are used as an expectorant, and seeds are febrifuge. Food - In some areas the plant is considered toxic, whilst in others it is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. Young fruits and shoots are occasionally eaten in South-East Asia.
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal
Thrives in warm rainforests and can be found in disturbed areas, upto an elevation of 1000 m.
It is perennial climber reaching up to 600 cm high.
Stem is hairless, initially thin, becoming thicker and developing white dots on ridges as the plant matures. Can reach diameter of up to 2 cm.
Leaves are broadly ovate with 3-5 main lobes, hairless and range in size from 3.5-14 cm long and 4-14.5 cm wide. Individual lobes are linear-lanceolate to elliptic in shape. Leaf stalks are 1.5-9.0 cm long.
Flowers are small, white or yellowish. Male flowers appear in stalkless clusters of 2-8, while female flowers appear in groups of 5 within the same leaf axil. The male flower's sepal cup is 0.3-0.4 cm long, while the female's is smaller at 0.15-0.25 cm. Sepals are smaller than the flower tube, and the male flower is larger than the female.
Fruit is solitary or clusters of 2-5, ovoid-round, 1.5-2.5 cm in size. When ripe, they turn red with longitudinal white stripes, resembling a lollipop.
Flowering: March – August,
Fruiting: September – December.