Velvet leaf
Cissampelos pareira

Family: Menispermaceae

What it is like

A woody vine or climber. The branches are slender. They are usually densely hairy. The leaves are simple and 5-12 cm long by 5-12 cm wide. The leaf stalk joins the leaf blade away from the edge. The leaf blade is papery. Plants are separately male and female. A group of flowers occur in the axils of leaves. The flowers have 1 petal and are cup shaped. They are white or yellow. The fruit is fleshy and yellow, orange or red. It is 5-7 mm long and wide. It is hairy. It occurs amongst bracts 1-2 cm long. There is 1 seed. It is brown and 4-5 mm long. Variety pariera occur only in America and Africa. Variety hirsuta occurs in Asia.

There are about 20-25 Cissampelos species. The roots are cooked and eaten to alleviate constipation. It contains alkaloids - Seeprine, Bebeerine and Cissampeline.

Where it is found

They are tropical. In Pakistan it is common in hedges up to 2,300 m altitude. It can grow in arid places. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Antigua-Barbuda, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Central Africa, Central America, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba (country/location of origin), Dominican Republic, East Africa, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Grenada, Guatemala, Guianas, Guyana, Haiti, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Jamaica (country/location of origin), Kenya, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Martinique, Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, North America, Northeastern India, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Reunion, SE Asia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South America, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad-Tobago, Uganda, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies (country/location of origin), Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The leaves are harvested, crushed and filtered and the sap left to solidify. It is eaten as a sweet. The fruit is eaten. The dried root powder is added to rice liquor to improve fermentation.

Edible parts

Tubers, root, caution, stems, leaves, fruit

How it is grown

Plants can be grown by seeds or cuttings.

Its other names

Local names

Abutua, Adivi banka tige, Akanadi, Ambashtha, Appatta, Bai maa noi, Batul paate, Bohivory, Caa peba, Charrua, Chutu lutur, Cipo, False pareira brava, Gasing-gasing, Gegasing, Hamafana, Kattuvalli, Krea manoi, Krue ma noi, Kywet-abaung, Mempanang, Mil hombres, Mulika chera, Padavali, Paharvel, Ranu red, Tabo, Venivel, Vishkhapri, Xi sheng teng, Zarza

Synonyms

Cissampelos poilanei Gagn.; Cissampelos microcarpa DC; Cissampelos pannosa Turcz.; Cissampelos hirsuta DC.; and many others