A climbing shrub with tuberous roots, stems prickly, leaves stalked and veined, with a tendril on each side of the leaf stalks. The flowers have globular heads, sessile in the axils of the leaves, Tubers cylindrical, irregular, 4 to 6 inches long, 2 inches thick, slightly flattened, having short knotty branches, with a rust-coloured shiny bark, sometimes smooth, may be wrinkled, internally pale fawn colour, mealy, small resin cells, no odour, taste indifferent, afterwards slightly bitter and acrid. The fruit is about 9 mm in diameter.

The root is alterative, antiscrophulatic, carminative, depurative, diaphoretic, diuretic and tonic.

Plants for a Future
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Diosgenin, tannin (root); oleic acid (plant); rutin (leaf)

Old syphilitic cases and is also used for certain skin diseases, including psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, enteritis, urinary tract infections, skin ulcers etc.

Large doses can cause nausea and vomiting, which is valuable in weakened and depraved conditions due to a poisoned state of the blood.

Sharma PV. Classical Uses of Medicinal Plants.