Monday, February 23, 2009

Diplocyclos palmatus (L.) JAFFREY


English Name : Lollipop climber

Family : Cucurbitaceae

Description
A tuberous, slender annual vine with glabrous stems and forked tendrils. Leaves ovate-suborbicular in outline, 7.5 to 15 cm long and up to 12 cm wide, deeply 3 to 5 lobed, base cordate, blade membranous, scabrid above with minute red scales, smooth or slightly scabrid beneath; lobes lanceolate, acute to acuminate, margins coarsely, irregularly serrate or sinuate and distantly denticulate. Flowers small, greenish-yellow, the female flowers borne in fascicles, the male solitary; corolla 3 to 4 mm, lobes ovate-oblong, acute, pubescent. Fruit (berry) rounded, 2 to 3 cm in diameter, bluish-green with eight vertical white streaks, ripening red; seeds few, brown, obovate, compressed, 4 mm long and 3 mm wide, encircled by a prominent raised band.

Parts Used : Seed, plant and its aerial part

Herb Effects
The plant is bitter, aperient and tonic, and alleviates spasms (50% EtOH aerial part extract); fruit is used as an aphrodisiac and tonic.

Active Ingredients
Punicic acid (seed oil); from 50% EtOH extract of aerial part.

Medicinal Use
Aids in women conceiving (seed powder); for tongue paralysis and spleen enlargement (plant); used to relieve bilious attack; constipation and prevent miscarriage (seed). The leaves are applied topically to relieve inflammations.

Reference

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