Trellis vine
Pergularia daemia

Family: Apocynaceae

What it is like

A climber. It has milky sap. It has fine hairs. It grows up to 6 m high. The leaves are opposite. They have stalks 7 cm long. The leaf blades are heart shaped at the base. They are 10 cm long and 10 cm wide. The lobes at the base are rounded. The flowers are in loose irregular clusters at the sides of the plant. There are 2-30 flowers that hang down. The flowers are green or pink and bell shaped. There are long white woolly hairs along the edge. The flowers open at sundown. The fruit are 5-8 cm long by 1-2 cm wide. They taper to a short curved tip.

The leaves contain 5.6 mg/100 g of Vitamin C. Also put in the family Asclepiadaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in the scrub near the coast and in damp savannah and on the edges of forests. In southern Africa it grows from sea level to 1,200 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places. It can grow in coastal sands.

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Africa, Arabia, Asia, Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, India, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Malaysia, Mali, Middle East, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, Oman, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sahel, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Senegal, Socotra, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia

How it is used for food

The young hollow stems are cooked as a vegetable in times of famine. The young leaves are cooked and eaten. They are also added to soup and used as a potherb. The flower buds are used as a vegetable. The starchy roots are eaten. The small fruit are finely chopped and cooked as a vegetable.

Edible parts

Leaves, shoots, stems, flowers, roots, tubers, vegetable, fruit

How it is grown

Plants can be grown by seed or cuttings.

Its other names

Local names

Amaradudheli, Chagul bati, Dhudhilota, Dudhilata, Dushtupa tige, Erico, Etse-hreg, Fujani, Furana, Gurtichettu, Hacher, Hala koritige, Jittupaku, Juttapala teega, Juttuve balli, Jutuk, ka-Riaria, Karial, Korroda, Kutitany, Leshwe, Likotapeni, Mausi arxa, Mausi sag, Mothuhu, Mousi, Murahari, Nagaladudhi, Nandamani, Nhocane, Okuru, Phala kantaka, Pijee, Sagovani, Silai, Talayarana balli, Thalika, Trotu, Ujani, Umkotapeni, Utaran, Utarni, Utranajutuka, Uttaravaruni, Utthamani, Uturdi, Veliparatti, Veliparutti, Yugma

Synonyms

Asclepias daemia Forssk.; Cynanchum extensum Jacquin; Pergularia extensa (R. Br.) N. E. Br.; Daemia extensa R. Br.;