Common Name:

General Information

Ipomoea asarifolia is a herbaceous climbing plant that scrambles over the ground or twines into the surrounding vegetation for support[].
The plant is sometimes gathered from the wild for local use as a medicine, dye, tying material and tinder. It can be used in soil stabilization projects on sandy soils.

Known Hazards

A purgative toxic resin is probably present in the plant. It is said to cause diarrhoea in horses if accidentally grazed, and madness and death in camels, but camels are recorded to eat it in Senegal and sheep sometimes eat it in Mauritania[].

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela; C. America - Panama; Caribbean - Jamaica; Tropical Africa; E. Asia - India

Habitat

Sandy areas and waste places in Africa[]. Marshy grasslands and waysides at elevations up to 250 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial Climber
Height	0.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[]. This plant should be eaten with caution, see the notes above on toxicity[].

Medicinal

The plant is abortifacient, oxytocic[]. It is used for various gynaecological purposes: to treat urinary problems during pregnancy, haemorrhages, neuralgia, headaches, arthritic pain and stomach aches[].
The plant is used externally as a wound-dressing and for treating ophthalmia[].[]. Combined with bulrush millet, it is used to make a steam bath for the face when treating feverish chills and rheumatic pains[].

The pulped-up leafy stems are mixed with citron and water and used as an oxytocic to stimulate contractions of the womb when giving birth[]. A leaf-decoction is used to regulate blood pressure[], it is taken internally and also used as a wash to treat feverish chills and rheumatic pains[].
A leaf poultice is applied to guinea-worm sores[].

The flowers, boiled with beans, are eaten as a remedy for syphilis[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant trails over the ground and makes a good sandbinder on sand dunes[].

Other Uses

A decoction of the plant is used to stain cloths and the hair black[].
The ashes of the plant are mixed with indigo to provide a blue dye for cloth, or ashes of the leaves can be used on their own[].

The long stems are used as ties for tying up produce[].

The dried stems are used as a tinder[].

The leaves are sometimes used to wrap the feet or hands in applying henna[].

Propagation

Seed -

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