Rubia cordifolia
Rubiaceae FAMILY

Rubia cordifolia

Rubia cordifolia

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
3/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Rubia cordifolia is a climbing or creeping herbaceous perennial plant, supporting itself upon other plants by means of its recurved prickles[ 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 stems become woody at their base[ 398 Title Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania Publication Author Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B. Publisher Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi. Year 2002 ISBN 9966-896-60-0 Description A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants. ]. The plant is mainly gathered from the wild for use as a dye plant, food and medicine. Prior to the discovery of synthetic dyes, Indian madder was widely used as a dye plant in Asia, and was exported in quantity to other areas of the globe[ 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. ]. It is used much less nowadays, but is still employed for high-quality traditional textiles[ 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 plant can be used as an ornamental climber[ 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. ]. When growing in cultivated fields, the plant can behave as a troublesome weed[ 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. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate; tropical
Native RangeAfrica - Sudan to Somalia, south to Angola, Mozambique S. Africa; Asia - Afghanistan, India, China, Mongolia, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines.
HabitatForest edges and clearings, scrub vegetation and dune forest, less commonly in grassland or open, rocky areas, at elevations from sea-level up to 2,600 metres[ 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. ].