Tape vine, Snake vine
Stephania japonica

Family: Menispermaceae

What it is like

A rather stout climber. The leaves are simple and the leaf stalk joins the blade away from the edge. Leaves are 4-18 cm long by 4-14 cm wide. The leaf stalks are 3-12 cm long. Plants are separately male and female. There are a group of flowers in the axils of leaves. The flowers have 2-4 petals. They are green, white or yellow. The fruit are fleshy and yellow, orange or red. They are 4-8 mm long and wide. There is one brown seed. It is 3-6 mm long.

The roots are used in medicine.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in rainforest and vine thickets. In tropical Queensland it grows from sea level to 1040 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, China, East Timor, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pacific, SE Asia, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The fruit is wrapped in leaves and cooked then eaten. The leaves are squeezed to form a king of jelly. CAUTION: The tuberous root is poisonous due to picrotoxin. The tuber is reported as being cooked and eaten as a vegetable.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves, seed

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds.

Its other names

Local names

Akanadi, Bai kon pit, Goldua, Kharkha, Kua tom luet, La moi, Liana ular, Loi tien, Molaga ranai kodi, Musakani, Nimuka, Nimukha, Okanobhindi, Pataki annu, Patavalli, Sahasrahalli, Sondhimali, Tubuki-lot, Vanatiktika

Synonyms

Clypea hernandiifolia Wight & Arn.; Stephania hernandiifolia Walp.; Stephania rotunda Hook.f. & Thoms. in part, non Lour.;