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Common Name:

General Information

Cayratia debilis is a climbing plant producing much-branched stems 1.8 - 5 metres long that scramble over the ground or climb into the surrounding vegetation, supporting themselves by means of tendrils. The stems can be herbaceous, or sometimes become slightly woody and persist for more than a year[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine.

Known Hazards

The stems are used in a mixture with the leaves of Tephrosia species to make a fish poison[].

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Sierra Leone and Liberia to DR Congo and Uganda, south to Angola.

Habitat

Evergreen forest; forest gallery; secondary forests; regrowths; clearings; half-deciduous forest; among tall bushes at the borders of primitive forest; at elevations from 150 - 1,200 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial Climber
Height	3.50 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[].

Medicinal

The leaves are eaten by people suffering from heart trouble and a herb tea is drunk to relieve cough[]. A leaf decoction is taken internally, and also applied externally as an embrocation, in the treatment of headaches[].

The sap is used as an ointment to heal the umbilical cord[].

The stems are part of a mixture to remedy abdominal troubles and constipation[].
The grated stems are made into poultices to apply to abscesses to draw out pus[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

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