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Useful Tropical Plants

Cocculus hirsutus

(L.) W.Theob.

Menispermaceae

+ Synonyms

Cebatha hirsuta (L.) Kuntze

Cebatha villosa C.Chr.

Cocculus aristolochiae DC.

Cocculus hastatus DC.

Cocculus hirsutus (L.) Diels

Cocculus holopeira-torrida Broun & R.L.Massey

Cocculus linnaeanus Kurz

Cocculus sepium Colebr.

Cocculus villosus DC.

Holopeira auriculata Miers

Holopeira laeviuscula Miers

Holopeira torrida Miers

Holopeira villosa (Lam.) Miers

Limacia villosa (DC.) W.Theob.

Menispermum hastatum Lam.

Menispermum hirsutum L.

Menispermum myosotoides L.

Menispermum villosum Lam.

Common Name:

Cocculus hirsutus
Fruiting stems
Photograph by: Dinesh Valke
Creative Commons License
Cocculus hirsutus Cocculus hirsutus Cocculus hirsutus Cocculus hirsutus

General Information

Cocculus hirsutus is a climbing shrub producing stems up to 15 metres long[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

Africa - Sudan to Eritrea and Ethiopia, south to Angola, Botswana and northern S. Africa; east to India, Myanmar, southern China and Thailand.

Habitat

Bushland and semi-desert scrub vegetation at elevations up to 1,200 metres. It grows on sandy and gravelly soil, and can form a dense cover on top of other plants[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitClimber
Height10.00 m
Self-fertileNo
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details



A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Edible Uses

The leaves are occasionally cooked and eaten as a vegetable[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Medicinal

Cocculus hirsutus is used medicinally throughout its range, but it is most popular in Asia, especially in Pakistan and India. The plant is a rich source of alkaloids, but little research into their medicinal properties has been carried out.
An aqueous extract of the leaves has shown diuretic and laxative properties[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

An infusion of the leaves is used to treat stomach-ache. A decoction is drunk to remedy female sterility. The leaf sap is used to treat nervous illnesses[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. The cooked leaves are eaten to treat night blindness[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. A jelly prepared by soaking leaves in cold water is taken to check spermatogenesis[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
Applied externally, the leaves are used to treat skin infections and itchy skin including eczema, rheumatism and gonorrhoea[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

The roots are alterative, diuretic, laxative and tonic[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. A decoction is applied against fever, rheumatism and severe weight loss[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Other Uses

The stems are used in basketry[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. The are used in making basket chairs[
308
Title
Flora Zambesiaca
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
].

A blue colouring obtained from the fruit is used to colour baskets blue[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. The fruits are combined with the seedpods of Acacia nilotica subalata in order to make the blue colour[
308
Title
Flora Zambesiaca
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-10-07. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cocculus+hirsutus>

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