Hylodesmum repandum
(Vahl) H.Ohashi & R.R.Mill
Fabaceae
Aeschynomene remota Poir.
Anarthrosyne scalpe Klotzsch
Desmodium aparine Chiov.
Desmodium caffrum Eckl. & Zeyh.
Desmodium remotum (Poir.) Drake
Desmodium repandum (Vahl) DC.
Desmodium scalpe DC.
Desmodium schimperi A.Rich.
Desmodium strangulatum Wight & Arn.
Hedysarum ignescens Miq.
Hedysarum repandum Vahl
Hedysarum scalpe DC.
Meibomia repanda (Vahl) Kuntze
Meibomia scalpe (DC.) Kuntze
Papilionopsis stylidioides Steenis
Podocarpium repandum (Vahl) Y.C.Yang & P.H.Huang
Common Name:
General Information
Hylodesmum repandum is an erect, perennial plant, often becoming woody at the base. It can grow 30 - 150cm tall with simple or branched stems[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. The plant can have a climbing orscrambling habit, sometimes forming dense undergrowth 30 - 400cm tall[
328- Title
- African Flowering Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
- Publisher
- Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. It can be used as a green manure and ground cover.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
Range
Widespread in the tropics from Africa, through Asia to some of the Pacific Islands.
Habitat
Often one of the dominant components of shaded places in dry evergreen forest or rain-forest or at the forest margin; riverine vegetation; Podocarpus forest; along roadsides; at elevations from 400 - 3,050 metres[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
,
328- Title
- African Flowering Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
- Publisher
- Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
].
Properties
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Perennial |
| Height | 0.50 m |
| Pollinators | Insects |
| Cultivation Status | Cultivated, Wild |
Cultivation Details
A plant of the moist tropics, almost always in areas of year-round rainfall in Asia[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
], but also commonly in areas of seasonal rainfall in Africa[
328- Title
- African Flowering Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
- Publisher
- Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[
755- Title
- Nodulation Plants in GRIN Taxonomy
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxnodul.pl?language=en
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database listing plants that have either positive or negative reports on root and stem nodulation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
].
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
The plant is used in combination with other diuretic substances[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
The roots are used in the treatment of stomach troubles[
332- Title
- The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burkil. H. M.
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
- Year
- 1985 - 2004
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
Agroforestry Uses:
The plant has been used as a green manure and ground cover[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
The plant grows well in shade and would appear suitable as a cover-crop for coffee and other plantation crops[
332- Title
- The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burkil. H. M.
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
- Year
- 1985 - 2004
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
