Anredera cordifolia (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Anredera cordifolia (Ten.) v. Steenis

Protologue: Fl. Males., ser. 1, 5(3): 303 (1957).

• Boussingaultia cordifolia Ten. (1853),
• Boussingaultia gracilis Miers (1864),
• Boussingaultia baselloides auct. non Humb., Bonpl. & Kunth.

• Madeira vine, mignonette vine (Am)
• Vietnam: mùng tơi củ.

Native to tropical South America, introduced in many tropical countries, e.g. in Vietnam and Java.

Chopped leaves in boiling water are used in folk medicine in Colombia and Taiwan to treat diabetes and as an analgesic.

A perennial climber with thick rhizome and short-lived shoots up to 6 m long; leaves ovate to subcordate, 1-11 cm × 1-8 cm; flowers with lower bracteoles connate and forming a cuplet, upper bracteoles flattened, not keeled, perianth white, patent in anthesis. A. cordifolia is planted as an ornamental in the lowlands of Java.

233, 247, 556, 561, 567.

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R.H.M.J. Lemmens