Garlic vine
Mansoa alliacea

Family: Bignoniaceae

What it is like

A climber. It produces several woody vines from the root. It grows 2-3 m tall. It smells or garlic when crushed. The stem is 4 angled. The leaves have 3 leaflets. The end leaflets develops into a long tendril divided into 3 prongs. The leaves are bright green and 15 cm long. The flowers are purple with a white throat. They are funnel shaped. They fade with age.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. In XTBG Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon (country/location of origin), Asia, Brazil, China, Dominican Republic, FSM, Guyana, India, Myanmar, Peru, Pohnpei, Puerto Rico, SE Asia, South America, West Indies

How it is used for food

The garlic flavoured leaves and stems are used as flavouring.

Edible parts

Leaves - flavouring, spice

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Aaxux ts'aah, Ajp sacha, Boens, Cipo d'alho, Kyet-thun-phyu-nwe, Nia boens

Synonyms

Adenocalymma alliaceum (Lam.) Miers; Adenocalymma obovatum Urb.; Bignonia alliacea Lam.; Bignonia citrifolia Vitman; Pachyptera alliacea (Lam.) A. H. Gentry; Pseudocalymma alliaceum (Lam.) Sandwith;