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Gymnema sylvestre (Retz.) R.Br. ex Sm.

Cowplant (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Gentianales > Apocynaceae > Gymnema

Characteristics

Stems to 8 m, sparsely lenticellate; young branchlets pubescent, glabrescent. Petiole 3-12 mm; leaf blade obovate to ovate, 3-8.5 × 1.5-5.5 cm, thick papery, adaxially pubescent to glabrous except for groove of midvein, abaxially tomentose to glabrous except for veins; lateral veins 4 or 5 pairs, convergent. Cymes much shorter than leaves, pubescent; peduncle 2-5 mm, rachis with close-spaced spiral of pedicel scars. Sepals ovate, ciliate. Corolla greenish white; lobes ovate, glabrous; appendages exserted. Stigma head exserted. Follicles mostly solitary, broadly lanceolate in outline, 5-9 × ca. 2 cm, glabrous, beak acuminate. Seeds ovate, ca. 8 × 4 mm; coma silky white, ca. 3.5 cm. Fl. Apr-Nov, fr. Sep-Dec. 2n = 22.
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A small climber. It grows 1-3 m tall. It has a woody rootstock and slender stems. Young growth is softly hairy. The leaves are 2.5-5 cm long by 1.5-2 cm wide. They are oval or sword shaped. The flowers are 0.3 cm across. The flowers occur in paired groups in the axils of leaves. The follicles are 6-8 cm long by 0.8-1 cm wide. They are slender and pointed.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support climber
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 3.0 - 5.5
Root system tap-root
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

A tropical plant. It grows in open woods, bushland between 100–1000 m altitude in China. It can be on the edges of mangroves and along rivers. In Yunnan.
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Secondary forest, riverine forest and dry shrub savannah, usually on sandy or loamy soils. It occurs scattered and is locally abundant and common.
Light 7-9
Soil humidity 4-6
Soil texture 1-6
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 10-12

Usage

The leaves when chewed paralyse the sense of taste for sweet and sour. The leaves are used as a potherb. Caution: The fruit are roasted in hot ashes.
Uses construction food gene source material medicinal poison potherb
Edible fruits leaves saps seeds
Therapeutic use Antiviral agents (aerial part), Parasympatholytics (aerial part), Diabetes mellitus (bark), Abdominal pain (fruit), Anti-arrhythmia agents (fruit), Appetite stimulants (fruit), Bronchitis (fruit), Diabetes mellitus (fruit), Dyspepsia (fruit), Heart diseases (fruit), Hepatomegaly (fruit), Malaria (fruit), Skin diseases (fruit), Splenic diseases (fruit), Urination disorders (fruit), Urologic diseases (fruit), Abdominal pain (leaf), Abscess (leaf), Hair loss (leaf), Anthelmintics (leaf), Anti-arrhythmia agents (leaf), Anti-bacterial agents (leaf), Antidiuretic agents (leaf), Antifungal agents (leaf), Antineoplastic agents (leaf), Anti-obesity agents (leaf), Antioxidants (leaf), Antiviral agents (leaf), Appetite stimulants (leaf), Asthma (leaf), Bronchitis (leaf), Cardiotonic agents (leaf), Cardiovascular diseases (leaf), Cathartics (leaf), Colic (leaf), Common cold (leaf), Cough (leaf), Diabetes mellitus (leaf), Diuretics (leaf), Dysentery (leaf), Dyspepsia (leaf), Dyspnea (leaf), Dysuria (leaf), Eye diseases (leaf), Eye infections (leaf), Eye pain (leaf), Glycosuria (leaf), Headache (leaf), Heart diseases (leaf), Hemorrhage (leaf), Hepatomegaly (leaf), Hyperlipidemias (leaf), Hypoglycemic agents (leaf), Inflammation (leaf), Influenza a virus (leaf), Insecticides (leaf), Laxatives (leaf), Leprosy (leaf), Liver diseases (leaf), Malaria (leaf), Menstruation disturbances (leaf), Nervous system diseases (leaf), Pain (leaf), Paralysis (leaf), Polyuria (leaf), General tonic for rejuvenation (leaf), Skin diseases (leaf), Splenic diseases (leaf), Stress, psychological (leaf), Ulcer (leaf), Urinary tract infections (leaf), Urination disorders (leaf), Uterine contraction (leaf), Uterine diseases (leaf), Vomiting (leaf), Wounds and injuries (leaf), Abdominal pain (root), Anthelmintics (root), Anti-arrhythmia agents (root), Antiemetics (root), Appetite stimulants (root), Astringents (root), Bites and stings (root), Bronchitis (root), Common cold (root), Cough (root), Diabetes mellitus (root), Dyspepsia (root), Emetics (root), Expectorants (root), Fever (root), Heart diseases (root), Hemorrhoids (root), Hepatomegaly (root), Malaria (root), General tonic for rejuvenation (root), Scorpion stings (root), Skin diseases (root), Snake bites (root), Splenic diseases (root), Urination disorders (root), Cooling effect on body (root), Common cold (seed), Emetics (seed), Eye infections (seed), Diabetes mellitus (shoot), Common cold (stem), Diabetes mellitus (stem), Fever (stem), Hemorrhoids (stem), Hypoglycemic agents (stem), Bite(Snake) (unspecified), Diabetes (unspecified), Errhine (unspecified), Eye (unspecified), Furunculosis (unspecified), Parageusia (unspecified), Stimulant (unspecified), Tongue (unspecified), Uterotonic (unspecified), Cardiotonic (unspecified), Cough (unspecified), Diuretic (unspecified), Laxative (unspecified), Stomachic (unspecified), Bilious (unspecified), Amenorrhea (unspecified), Analgesics (unspecified), Anthelmintics (unspecified), Antidotes (unspecified), Anti-inflammatory agents (unspecified), Antirheumatic agents (unspecified), Appetite stimulants (unspecified), Asthma (unspecified), Bronchitis (unspecified), Cardiotonic agents (unspecified), Common cold (unspecified), Conjunctivitis (unspecified), Constipation (unspecified), Diabetes mellitus (unspecified), Diuretics (unspecified), Dyspepsia (unspecified), Expectorants (unspecified), Eye diseases (unspecified), Eye infections (unspecified), Eye pain (unspecified), Fever (unspecified), Fractures, bone (unspecified), Heart diseases (unspecified), Helminthiasis (unspecified), Hemorrhage (unspecified), Hepatomegaly (unspecified), Hypoglycemic agents (unspecified), Inflammation (unspecified), Jaundice (unspecified), Kidney calculi (unspecified), Laxatives (unspecified), Lymphadenitis (unspecified), Parasympatholytics (unspecified), General tonic for rejuvenation (unspecified), Splenomegaly (unspecified), Stress, psychological (unspecified), Ulcer (unspecified), Urinary bladder calculi (unspecified), Urination disorders (unspecified), Uterine contraction (unspecified), Vitiligo (unspecified), Vomiting (unspecified), Anthelmintics (whole plant), Antidotes (whole plant), Appetite stimulants (whole plant), Asthma (whole plant), Bronchitis (whole plant), Diabetes mellitus (whole plant), Diuretics (whole plant), Dyspepsia (whole plant), Emetics (whole plant), Eye diseases (whole plant), Heart diseases (whole plant), Jaundice (whole plant), Kidney diseases (whole plant), Liver diseases (whole plant), Parkinson disease (whole plant), Snake bites (whole plant), Tuberculosis (whole plant), Ulcer (whole plant), Antiperiodic (whole plant)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seed.
Mode seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Leaf

Gymnema sylvestre leaf picture by Alberto Cucco (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Gymnema sylvestre fruit picture by cm Tseung (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Gymnema sylvestre world distribution map, present in Angola, Burundi, Benin, Burkina Faso, Botswana, Central African Republic, China, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, India, Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Mauritania, Malawi, Malaysia, Nigeria, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Senegal, South Sudan, Chad, Togo, Taiwan, Province of China, Tanzania, United Republic of, Viet Nam, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:60454719-2
WFO ID wfo-0000712289
COL ID 3HPRX
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Apocynum alterniflorum Strophanthus alterniflorus Periploca tenuifolia Periploca sylvestris Cynanchum senegalense Cynanchum subvolubile Gymnema humile Gymnema mkenii Gymnema parvifolium Gymnema rufescens Gymnema subvolubile Gymnema affine Gymnema alterniflorum Gymnema formosanum Gymnema melicida Marsdenia sylvestris Asclepias geminata Conocalpis umbellata Gymnema sylvestre var. affine Gymnema sylvestre var. ceylanicum Gymnema sylvestre var. chinense Gymnema sylvestre Gymnema sylvestre var. ceylanica
WorldFloraDB 2024