Climbing hemp-weed
Mikania cordata

Family: Asteraceae

What it is like

A climber or vine. It grows 8-15 m high. It keeps growing from year to year. The leaves are opposite. The base of the leaf is heart shaped. There can be teeth along the edge of the leaf. The leaves are 8 cm wide. The flowers are pale pink or white. They are in a cluster at a head. The fruit are greenish-white.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in waste places and old re-growth. In Malawi it grows between 650-1,900 m altitude. It can be in savannah woodland and palm groves. It can be in flooded rice fields. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Central Africa, China, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Gambia, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Laos, Malawi, Malaysia, New Guinea, Nigeria, Pacific, Philippines, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, West Africa

How it is used for food

The leaves are cooked in soups.

Edible parts

Leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Bikas, Bombo, Chibonbwe, Fricoio, Gimbo, Nore, Refugeelata

Synonyms

Eupatorium cordatum Burm.f.; Eupatorium trinitarium var. volubilis (Poepp.) M. Gómez; Eupatorium volubile Norona; Eupatorium volubile (Poepp.) Vahl; Knautia sagittata Blanco; Mikania volubilis (Vahl) Willd.; Mikania volubilis Poepp.;