Merremia vitifolia

Family: Convolvulaceae

What it is like

A herb. It can be twining or lie along the ground. The leaves are round and 5-18 cm long by 4-6 cm wide. There are 5-7 lobes. These can be angular or triangle shaped. There can be one or several flowers in a group. The flowers are yellow and funnel shaped. The fruit is a capsule that is 1.2 cm across. The seeds are black to brown and 3 sided.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in roadside thickets between 400-1,600 m above sea level in southern China. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Cambodia, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, SE Asia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, West Timor

How it is used for food

The immature and unripe fruit are chewed. The roots are cooked and eaten.

Edible parts

Fruit, roots

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Cheruvayara, Kyet-hingale-nwe

Synonyms

Ipomoea vitifolia (Burm.f.) Blume; Convolvulus vitifolius Burm.f.;