A herb that grows to a height of 1.2m and is 2.5cm in diameter. Stems are glabrous, terete, pitted, and 2mm in diameter. Leaves are simple, spiral, and exstipulate in groups of 2–3; petiole is 6mm – 1.5cm long; blade is asymmetrical at the base, 4.7cm × 2.3cm – 6cm × 12.7cm – 4cm × 2cm – 2.6cm × 1.9cm, membranaceous, light green, and shows about five pairs of secondary nerves below; apex is tailed. Flowers are white and minute. Fruits are fusiform, fleshy berries which are green to red, glossy, and edible.

As rubefacient, antihaemorrhoidal, antirheumatic, antiseptic, carminative, diaphoretic, digestive, sialagogue and stomachic (fruit); counterirritant (plant)

Plants For A Future database
Surajbala Exports Pvt. Ltd.

1,8-cineole, alanine, alpha carotene, alpha-linolenic acid, alpha-phellandrene, alpha-terpineol, apiin, arginine, ascorbic acid, asparagine, aspartic acid, benzaldehyde, beta-carotene, beta-ionone, beta-pinene, betaine, butyric acid, caffeic acid, campesterol, camphor, capsaicin, carvone, caryophyllene, citric acid, folacin, glutamic acid, hesperidin, limonene, linoleic acid, lutein, methionine, myrcene, niacin, oleic acid, oxalic acid, p-coumaric acid, palmitic acid, pantothenic acid, phenylalanine, pulegone, quercetin, riboflavin, scopoletin, solanine, solasodine, stearic acid, stigmasterol, terpinen-4-ol, thiamine, thujone, tocopherol, tryptophan, tyrosine, zeaxanthin (fruit); acetic acid, lauric acid, valeric acid (sap); chlorogenic acid (stem); kaempferol (anther)

To stimulate digestion, and to treat jaundice, liver diseases, diarrhea and vomiting, arthritis, rheumatism, chest pain and pericarditis (fruit); in atony of the intestines and stomach (dried fruit); used externally for cuts and wounds (plant).

Christophe Wiart. Medicinal Plants of Asia and the Pacific, P:271-272, CRC Press, June 2006.