WorldFloraDB - Hemidesmus indicus

Characteristics

A shrubby twining plant or climber. It has a woody rootstock and long whip-like stems. These are thickened at the nodes. The leaves are simple, long and narrow. They are 5-10 cm long by 0.8-1.8 cm wide. The flower stalks are covered by many bracts. The fruit is a long dry pod. It is 10-15 cm long by 0.6 cm wide. The seeds are 6-8 mm long.

Life form	perennial
Growth form	shrub
Growth support	climber
Foliage retention	-
Sexuality	hermaphrodite
Pollination	-
Spread	-
Mature width (meter)	-
Mature height (meter)	-
Root system	-
Rooting depth (meter)	-
Root diameter (meter)	-
Flower color	-
Blooming months	-
Fruit color	-
Fruiting months	-
Nitrogen fixer	-
Photosynthetic pathway	-

Environment

It is a tropical plant. In Sri Lanka it grows below 800 m above sea level.

More

Lowland forest.

Light	-
Soil humidity	-
Soil texture	-
Soil acidity	-
Soil nutriment	-
Hardiness (USDA)	-

Usage

The roots are the source of a syrup used as a flavouring in foods in place of sarsaparilla. They are used in tea and soft drinks. The root bark is powdered and used as a coffee drink. The young leaves are used to prepare a drink. They are also cooked and eaten as a vegetable.

Uses	coffee substitute food food additive material medicinal non-vertebrate poison poison tea
Edible	leaves roots saps tubers
Therapeutic use	Chemoprevention (aerial part), Fever (bark), Rickets (bark), Leukorrhea (flower), Tongue diseases (flower), Antipyretics (fruit), Common cold (fruit), Cough (fruit), Abdominal pain (leaf), Anemia (leaf), Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (leaf), Antioxidants (leaf), Antipyretics (leaf), Antirheumatic agents (leaf), Arthralgia (leaf), Asthma (leaf), Common cold (leaf), Cough (leaf), Diarrhea (leaf), Dysentery (leaf), Emaciation (leaf), Endophthalmitis (leaf), Eye diseases (leaf), Fever (leaf), Galactogogues (leaf), Gonorrhea (leaf), Headache (leaf), Hematologic diseases (leaf), Hemorrhoids (leaf), Insecticides (leaf), Jaundice (leaf), Lactation (leaf), Low back pain (leaf), Neoplasms (leaf), Nephritis (leaf), Pregnancy complications (leaf), Pruritus (leaf), Pyelonephritis (leaf), General tonic for rejuvenation (leaf), Sexually transmitted diseases (leaf), Skin diseases (leaf), Stomach ulcer (leaf), Stomatitis, aphthous (leaf), Syphilis (leaf), Tongue diseases (leaf), Urologic diseases (leaf), Vitiligo (leaf), Vomiting (leaf), Wounds and injuries (leaf), Eye diseases (plant exudate), Abdominal pain (rhizome), Fever (rhizome), General tonic for rejuvenation (rhizome), Fissure (root), Abdominal pain (root), Abortifacient agents (root), Abortion, spontaneous (root), Abscess (root), Hair loss (root), Analgesics (root), Anemia (root), Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (root), Anorexia (root), Anthelmintics (root), Anti-bacterial agents (root), Anticoagulants (root), Antifungal agents (root), Anti-infective agents, local (root), Anti-inflammatory agents (root), Anti-obesity agents (root), Antioxidants (root), Antipruritics (root), Antipyretics (root), Antirheumatic agents (root), Aphrodisiacs (root), Apnea (root), Appetite stimulants (root), Arthralgia (root), Asthenia (root), Asthma (root), Bites and stings (root), Bronchitis (root), Calculi (root), Cardiotonic agents (root), Central nervous system depressants (root), Colic (root), Common cold (root), Cough (root), Demulcents (root), Diabetes mellitus (root), Diarrhea (root), Digestive system diseases (root), Diuretics (root), Dysentery (root), Dyspepsia (root), Dysuria (root), Earache (root), Eczema (root), Emaciation (root), Emollients (root), Endophthalmitis (root), Epilepsy (root), Erectile dysfunction (root), Expectorants (root), Fatigue (root), Female urogenital diseases (root), Fertility agents (root), Fever (root), Flatulence (root), Galactogogues (root), Gastritis (root), Gastrointestinal diseases (root), Gastrointestinal tract (root), Genital diseases, female (root), Gonorrhea (root), Gout (root), Graves ophthalmopathy (root), Headache (root), Heart diseases (root), Helminthiasis (root), Hematologic diseases (root), Hemorrhage (root), Hemorrhoids (root), Hyperlipidemias (root), Hypertension (root), Immunomodulation (root), Inflammation (root), Insecticides (root), Jaundice (root), Kidney calculi (root), Kidney diseases (root), Lactation disorders (root), Leprosy (root), Leukorrhea (root), Lipid peroxidation (root), Liver diseases (root), Lymphadenitis (root), Malnutrition (root), Menstruation disturbances (root), Migraine disorders (root), Mucus discharge (root), Nausea (root), Nephritis (root), Night blindness (root), Oral ulcer (root), Pain (root), Pharyngitis (root), Increase physical endurance, strength and stamina (root), Anti-poisoning (root), Polyuria (root), Postnatal care (root), Pregnancy complications (root), Prenatal care (root), Pruritus (root), Psoriasis (root), Pyelonephritis (root), Radiation-protective agents (root), General tonic for rejuvenation (root), Scorpion stings (root), Sexually transmitted diseases (root), Skin diseases (root), Snake bites (root), Sprains and strains (root), Stomach diseases (root), Stomach ulcer (root), Stomatitis (root), Stomatitis, aphthous (root), Syphilis (root), Thirst (root), Tongue diseases (root), Tonsillitis (root), Toothache (root), Tranquilizing agents (root), Ulcer (root), Urinary bladder diseases (root), Urinary calculi (root), Urinary tract infections (root), Urination disorders (root), Urologic diseases (root), Vitiligo (root), Vomiting (root), Wound healing (root), Wounds and injuries (root), Diaphoretic (root), Cooling effect on body (root), Brain diseases (seed), Kidney diseases (seed), Liver diseases (seed), Syphilis (seed), Vitiligo (seed), Diaphoretic (seed), Galactogogues (shoot), Antimutagenic agents (stem), Asthma (stem), Fever (stem), Galactogogues (stem), Gastrointestinal diseases (stem), Genital diseases, female (stem), Headache (stem), Inflammation (stem), Jaundice (stem), Kidney diseases (stem), Laxatives (stem), Neoplasms (stem), Sexually transmitted diseases (stem), Skin diseases (stem), Syphilis (stem), Toothache (stem), Wounds and injuries (stem), Diaphoretic (stem), Alterative (unspecified), Bacteriostat (unspecified), Demulcent (unspecified), Depurative (unspecified), Diuretic (unspecified), Inflammation (unspecified), Syphilis (unspecified), Tonic (unspecified), Urogenital (unspecified), Eye (unspecified), Refrigerant (unspecified), Tumor(Abdomen) (unspecified), Diaphoretic (unspecified), Gravel (unspecified), Rheumatism (unspecified), Blood (unspecified), Sudorific (unspecified), Abdominal neoplasms (unspecified), Abdominal pain (unspecified), Hair loss (unspecified), Anorexia (unspecified), Anti-bacterial agents (unspecified), Anti-inflammatory agents (unspecified), Antiparasitic agents (unspecified), Antipyretics (unspecified), Antirheumatic agents (unspecified), Antiviral agents (unspecified), Appetite stimulants (unspecified), Cardiovascular system (unspecified), Common cold (unspecified), Cough (unspecified), Demulcents (unspecified), Diabetes mellitus (unspecified), Diarrhea (unspecified), Diuretics (unspecified), Dysentery (unspecified), Dysentery, amebic (unspecified), Dyspepsia (unspecified), Dyspnea (unspecified), Edema (unspecified), Elephantiasis (unspecified), Fatigue (unspecified), Female urogenital diseases (unspecified), Fever (unspecified), Flatulence (unspecified), Fractures, bone (unspecified), Furunculosis (unspecified), Gastrointestinal diseases (unspecified), Gonorrhea (unspecified), Headache (unspecified), Hematologic diseases (unspecified), Hemiplegia (unspecified), Hypertension (unspecified), Hypolipidemic agents (unspecified), Inflammatory bowel diseases (unspecified), Jaundice (unspecified), Leprosy (unspecified), Leukorrhea (unspecified), Lithiasis (unspecified), Menorrhagia (unspecified), Menstruation disturbances (unspecified), Nausea (unspecified), Neoplasms (unspecified), Pain (unspecified), Psoriasis (unspecified), General tonic for rejuvenation (unspecified), Scorpion stings (unspecified), Sexually transmitted diseases (unspecified), Skin diseases (unspecified), Snake bites (unspecified), Tongue diseases (unspecified), Ulcer (unspecified), Urologic diseases (unspecified), Vomiting (unspecified), Anti-inflammatory agents (whole plant)
Human toxicity	-
Animal toxicity	-

Cultivation

Can be grown by seedlings.

Mode	seedlings
Germination duration (days)	-
Germination temperacture (C°)	-
Germination luminosity	-
Germination treatment	-
Minimum temperature (C°)	-
Optimum temperature (C°)	-
Size	-
Vigor	-
Productivity	-