Camonea umbellata

Family: Convolvulaceae

What it is like

A slender twining plant. It is a woody vine. It can be 5 m long. It forms roots at the nodes. The stems are slender and cylinder shaped. The leavesThe leaves are oval and hairy on both surfaces. The flowers are in groups in the axils of the leaves. They are white with a cream colour. The fruit is a round capsule. It is 1 cm long and has 4 valves.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in swampy places and near streams. It is also on sandy sites near beaches. This subspecies occurs in West Africa. In Argentina it grows below 500 m above sea level. In Colombia it grows up to 2,000 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, American Samoa, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central America, Colombia, Comoros, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinée, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Himalayas, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Laos, Liberia, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Myanmar, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Rotuma, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Sierra Leone, South America (country/location of origin), Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tanzania, Trinidad-Tobago, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies

How it is used for food

The young leaves are eaten as a potherb. The harvested leaves can be stored for 3-4 days.

Edible parts

Leaves, flowers

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Bongki irpik, Goria lota, Guna bendung, Kalmau, Kolia lota, Thianpa, Toklangsot, Turnaisa

Synonyms

Convolvulus aristolochiifolius Mill.; Convolvulus caracassanus Willd. ex Roem. & Schult.; Convolvulus cymosus Desr.; Convolvulus luteus M. Martens & Galeotti; Ipomoea cymosa (Desr.) Roem. & Schult.; Merremia umbellata (Linn.) Hallier f.; and others