Characteristics
A plant which climbs strongly. It has slender wiry stems. These arise each year from a woody rootstock. Plants grow in the wet season and die back in the dry season. Plants can climb to 4 m high. The young growth has soft hairs. The leaves are 6-15 cm long by 7-12 cm wide. The leaves are oval or heart shaped. They are dark green, thin and softly hairy. Many flowers occur together. The flowers are trumpet shaped and 7-8 cm across. They are dark purple. The seed capsule is 1.2-1.5 cm across. It is round, brown and hairy. The seeds are hairy.
| Life form |
perennial
|
| Growth form |
herb
|
| Growth support |
climber
|
| Foliage retention |
-
|
| Sexuality |
hermaphrodite
|
| Pollination |
-
|
| Spread |
-
|
| Mature width (meter) |
0.01 - 0.02
|
| Mature height (meter) |
-
|
| Root system |
-
|
| Rooting depth (meter) |
-
|
| Root diameter (meter) |
-
|
| Flower color |
-
|
| Blooming months |
-
|
| Fruit color |
-
|
| Fruiting months |
-
|
| Nitrogen fixer |
-
|
| Photosynthetic pathway |
c3
|
Environment
A tropical plant. Plants can survive drought or fire. It suits tropical and subtropical regions. It needs well drained soil and can grow in part shade. It can only tolerate light frosts.
| Light |
-
|
| Soil humidity |
-
|
| Soil texture |
-
|
| Soil acidity |
-
|
| Soil nutriment |
-
|
| Hardiness (USDA) |
-
|
Usage
The root tuber is cooked and eaten.
| Uses |
-
|
| Edible
|
roots
tubers
|
| Therapeutic use
|
-
|
| Human toxicity |
-
|
| Animal toxicity |
-
|
Cultivation
Plants can be grown from seed or cuttings.
| Mode |
seedlings
|
| Germination duration (days) |
-
|
| Germination temperacture (C°) |
-
|
| Germination luminosity |
-
|
| Germination treatment |
-
|
| Minimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Optimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Size |
-
|
| Vigor |
-
|
| Productivity |
-
|
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