An evergreen woody liana growing to 10 m high. The leaves are opposite, oval to lanceolate, 2-10 cm long and 1-4.5 cm broad, with an entire margin and an acuminate apex. The flowers are white, 1–2 cm diameter, with a tube-like corolla opening out into five petal-like lobes. The fruit is a slender follicle 10-25 cm long and 3-10 mm broad, containing numerous seeds.

Restorative and tonic (leaves); analgesic, antibacterial, antirheumatic, antispasmodic, depurative, emmenagogue, febrifuge, resolvent, tonic and vasodilator (flowering stem); cardiotonic and haemostatic (seeds)

Plants For A Future

A decoction of dried vine stem with leaves is useful in treating rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation of throat, sores, carbuncles, boils and abscesses.

Jing-Nuan Wu. An Illustrated Chinese Materia Medica. P: 629, Oxford University Press, Inc.2005.