Common Name: Dodder Laurel

General Information

Cassytha filiformis is a much branched, perennial, twining, parasitic or hemiparasitic plant, with stems growing 3 - 8 metres long[]. It climbs over its host plant, feeding upon it and often forming dense mats of growth that can kill the host[].
The plant is commonly gathered from the wild by local people for its medicinal and other uses[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Widespread in the tropics from Africa through Asia to Australia.

Habitat

Thickets or sparse forests on mountain slopes from near sea level to elevations of 1,600 metres in southern China[]. Occurs especially on the seashore and areas immediately behind the shore, often forming a dense blanket over thickets[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial Climber
Height	5.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the lowland tropics, it is found both in moist and dry regions[].

Dodder laurel can be partially or totally parasitic. When the stems are green they contain chlorophyll and are able to photosynthesize and thus do not depend entirely upon the host for nutrient[]. The green colour is often more pronounced on young stems[]. Stems that have turned yellow or orange no longer contain chlorophyll and are then totally dependant upon the host[].
Plants attach themselves to their host by means of haustoria, structures that penetrate the host and are able to draw out water and nutrients[].
At least part of this plants ability to spread so far around the globe must lie in its non-specialisation of host, being able to draw sustenance from a very wide range of herbs, shrubs and trees[]. For example, 42 species of host plants have been identified in India, 36 species from 25 families have been identified in the Philippines and 81 species from 45 families in the Bahamas[].
Plants can be found flowering and fruiting throughout the year[].
The fruits are dispersed by sea currents and by birds[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked[]. The leaves are occasionally used as a vegetable[].

Medicinal

The plant is astringent, diuretic, emmenagogue and tonic[, ]. It has a long history of use in traditional medicine, being used in many areas to treat a wide range of complaints[].
The whole plant, but especially the stem, contains a series of alkaloids, tannins, saponins and leucanthocyanins. Several of the alkaloids show pharmacological activities when tested in isolation[].
Methanolic and aqueous extracts of the whole stems have shown marked uterotonic effects which could be compared to that of oxytocin[].
An ethanol extract exhibited molluscicidal activity at a dose of 100 ppm, and a methanol extract exhibited antimicrobial activity against the microscopic parasite Trypanosoma vivax[].

An infusion of the stems is used in the treatment of digestive problems such as indigestion, biliousness and diarrhoea; feverish conditions including malaria; urinary system problems, including nephritis and oedema; headache, hepatitis, piles, sinusitis and spermatorrhoea[]. It is also often used by women to stimulate menstruation, hasten parturition and to suppress lactation after a stillbirth[]. The pounded stems are given as a vermifuge and for other intestinal troubles[]. A decoction of the stems is drunk to relieve itch and eczema[].
Externally, the stems are widely used to treat a range of skin complaints, including itchy conditions, eczema, ulcers and parasitic conditions of both skin and scalp[]. It is also used, in an infusion, as an eyewash[].
The whole plant is often used for treating venereal discharges, urethritis, gonorrhoea and syphilis[].
The stems are normally used fresh, but can also be dried for later use[].

Other Uses

The whole plant is used by local people as a paste for paper-making[].

The stems, mashed in water, are the source of a brown dye[].

The stems are dried, powdered and mixed with sesame oil to make a mucilaginous hair tonic, but this use may be attributed to the luxuriant hair-like appearance of the stems[].

Propagation

Seed - has an inbuilt dormancy and only germinates after it has been softened by microbial action[].

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