Common Name:

General Information

Dioclea virgata is a small to rather large, climbing, perennial plant with twining stems that become more or less woody and persist[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine.

Known Hazards

The seeds of many species in this genus are likely to be used as an emergency food in times of need. We have no specific information on this species, but the seeds of many (if not all) of the species in this genus contain antinutritional substances[]. This is not unusual - the seeds of many commonly eaten legumes (including the various Phaseolus species) also often contain antinutritional substances -these are largely removed in the cooking or other preparatory process (such as sprouting). Unless there is clear information that the seeds of this species are completely safe to eat, then it would be unwise to eat them raw; or to consume large quantities of them in one meal; or to consume then on a regular basis over a long period of time[].

Botanical References

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Range

S. America - Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama to southern Mexico

Habitat

Moist or wet thickets; at elevations up to 100 metres[]. Open areas and forest edges[].

Properties

Habit	Climber
Height	0.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

The seedpods are 90 - 105mm long and 20 - 22mm wide, containing 9 - 10 , dark brown, oblong seeds 11 - 13mm long, 8 - 9mm wide and 2 - 3mm thick.

Medicinal

A decoction of the leaves is used to treat fevers and malaria[]. The leaves are used in the treatment of kidney and prostate diseases[].

An ethanol extraction of the leaves has been shown to have an antinociceptive activity with little or no depression or sedation of the central nervous system[].

The seed of this species (and many other members of the genus) contain lectins that have a range of actions within the body that are of interest to the pharmaceutical industry. Many have the potential as the basis of new drugs to treat a range of diseases including cancer.

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

The seed has a very tough seedcoat and a firm flesh. Many species in the genus grow near rivers or the sea and their seeds can be carried for many months over long distances in the water, whilst retaining viability. It is believed that the seed of some species can retain viability for over 100 years in the soil so long as the seedcoat is not damaged. In order to get the seeds to germinate within one's own lifetime, it is generally necessary to damage the seedcoat without damaging the flesh inside. This can be done quite easily by either cutting a notch into the seedcoat, or abrading it with sandpaper. Once this is done, soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water and it should germinate quite quickly[].

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