Common Name:

General Information

Acalypha filiformis is a shrub, sometimes adopting a more climbing habit, with stems that can be up to 6 metres long[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of basketry material.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Africa - Madagascar, Réunion and various Islands in the Indian Ocean, excluding the Seychelles.

Habitat

Forests and ruderal sites at elevations from sea level to 2,000 metres in Madagascar[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	5.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A decoction of the whole plant is taken 3 times per day to treat dysentery[].

Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of tannins and anthocyanins in the root bark, stem bark and leaves; plus alkaloids and saponins in the leaves[].

Other Uses

The flexible stems and branches are used to make baskets and fish traps[].
The stems are also suitable to make walking sticks[].

The leaves are used as tissues and are especially useful to clean children[].

Propagation

Seed -

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