An extensive perennial climber with tuberous roots. Leaves large, palmately 5-7 lobed; flowers widely campanulate, pink or red purple, few to many in axillary corymbose cymes; capsules small, ovoid; seeds 4, black, wooly.

Aphrodisiac, demulcent, stimulates the secretion and/or flow of milk and the flow of bile and tonic; nutritive, expectorant and diuretic (decoction); tonic, alterative, aphrodisiac, demulcent, lactagogue and cholagogue (resin of root)

Herbal Monograph

Resin, carotene, beta-sitosterol, taraxerol and sitosterol.

For emaciated juveniles, debility, increases secretion of milk, enlarged liver and spleen, increases weight, moderates menstrual discharge, poor digestion, TB (plant); liver and spleen maladies, enervation and excessive menstruation (powder); bronchitis and fever (decoction); for diseases of the spleen and liver, for menorrhagia, debility and fat accumulation (powdered root)

Do not take during pregnancy.