Vitaceae FAMILY

Cissus quadrangularis

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

4/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Cissus quadrangularis is a deciduous, succulent, climbing plant producing stems from 1 - 15 metres long from a tuberous rootstock. The stems either scramble over the ground or climb into the surrounding vegetation, attaching themselves by means of tendrils. The plant often produces very few leves, photosynthesis being carried out by the green, four-sided stems. A popular medicinal herb, especially in India, where it is particularly valued as an analgesic herb that promotes healing, especially of broken bones[ 646 Title New Crops FactSheets Publication Author Website http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/default.html Publisher Purdue University Year 0 ISBN Description A website dedicated to giving information on potential new agricultural crops. ]. It is cultivated in gardens both as a medicinal plant and also for ornamental purposes[ 317 Title Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants Publication Author Website http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Terse details of a huge range of useful plants. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeThroughout tropical Africa; through the Arabian Peninsula to the Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines.

HabitatScrub; thicket; Acacia woodland; grassland with scattered Combretum etc; termite mounds; riverine thicket; coastal forest edges; sandy banks of rivers; outwash gully in dense mixed thicket; at elevations from near sea level to 2,250 metres 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. ]