Common Name:

General Information

Merremia aegyptia is an annual climbing plant, producing slender stems up to 6 metres long that scramble over the ground or twine into the surrounding vegetation[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and tying material. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

The plant causes diarrhoea in small stock when large quantities are eaten[].

Botanical References

,

Range

Probably originating in tropical America, the plant is widespread throughout the tropics.

Habitat

Riverine vegetation, grassland, open deciduous woodland, Combretum-Terminalia woodland, open forest and as a weed in cultivated land; at elevations up to 1,500 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual Climber
Height	5.00 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant is sometimes grown as an ornamental. It has shattering capsules that disperse the seeds around the parent plant; it often escapes from cultivation and is found naturalized as a weed[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The dried leaves are used as a dressing for burns[, ].

Chlorogenic and benzoic acids, as well as a metabolite of the latter (the glycoside 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline-3β-carboxylic acid), have been isolated from the plant[].

Other Uses

The stems are used for binding, for instance for frames in house building[, ].

Propagation

Seed -

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