Astripomoea malvacea (PROTA)

Plant Resources of Tropical Africa Introduction

List of species

General importance
Geographic coverage Africa
Geographic coverage World
Medicinal
Forage / feed

distribution in Africa (wild)

Astripomoea malvacea (Klotzsch) A.Meeuse

Protologue: Bothalia 6: 710 (1958).

Family: Convolvulaceae

Chromosome number: 2n = 30

Astripomoea malvacea occurs from Ghana east to Somalia and south to north-eastern South Africa.

In Tanzania a root decoction is drunk or the ground roots are taken in food in order to treat hookworm. To ripen hardened abscesses leaf sap and a root decoction are drunk. In Malawi a poultice of crushed roots is applied to swellings and inflammations, especially to treat eye infections. Also the sap of the leaves and flowers is applied to inflammation of the eye ball. In Zimbabwe a root decoction or infusion is drunk to treat coughs, female infertility, dizziness and abdominal pain in babies. Roots and leaves are burnt and the smoke inhaled to calm insanity. Root powder is rubbed into scarifications on the temples to treat headache.

In East and southern Africa it is considered good fodder for cattle.

From the root bark several aliphatic tropine and nor-tropine esters were isolated. The principal alkaloid is astrimalvine A N-oxide.

Extremely variable shrub-like perennial herb, with stems up to 2 m long, erect or prostrate, more or less densely woolly hairy with stellate hairs, rootstock woody. Leaves alternate, simple and entire; petiole very variable in length, up to 7.5 cm long; blade elliptical to broadly ovate, (2–)3–13.5 cm × (1–)2–11 cm, apex acute or rounded and mucronulate, base cuneate to deeply cordate. Inflorescence an axillary, 2–6-flowered umbellate cyme; peduncle 0–7 cm long; bracts elliptical to ovate, up to 11 mm long. Flowers bisexual, regular, 5-merous; pedicel up to 7 mm long; sepals lanceolate to orbicular, 5–10 mm × 2.5–8 mm, apex acute or obtuse, tomentose outside, glabrescent inside; midrib prominent; corolla funnel-shaped with a narrow tube, 2.5–5 cm long, entirely mauve or purple; stamens included, unequal in length; ovary superior, 2-celled. Fruit an almost globose capsule, 10–11 mm in diameter, glabrous, opening by 4 valves, 4-seeded. Seeds ovoid, compressed, 4.5–5.5 mm long, blackish-brown with small tufts of hair around the hilum. Seedling with epigeal germination.

Astripomoea comprises c. 13 species in tropical Africa and is closely related to Ipomoea. A morphological cladistics analysis and a phylogenetic analysis both indicate that Astripomoea is nested within Ipomoea, and a taxonomic revision is needed. Most species are ill-defined and very variable. Astripomoea malvacea comprises several varieties all of which are connected by intermediates. However, the extremes are so distinct that they have all been described as separate species on several occasions.

Several other Astripomoea species are medicinally used.

Astripomoea grantii

Astripomoea grantii (Rendle) Verdc. is a perennial trailing herb up to 1.2 m long with purple flowers with a whitish centre up to 3.5 cm long, and which occurs in eastern DR Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. In Uganda the crushed leaves are applied to the belly to induce childbirth. In DR Congo and Rwanda the leaves or aerial parts enter in mixtures of medicinal plants given to livestock to treat mastitis, rabies and gall disorders.

Astripomoea lachnosperma

Astripomoea lachnosperma (Choisy) A.Meeuse occurs from eastern Nigeria and Cameroon east to Somalia and south to Botswana and Namibia. It is closely related to Astripomoea grantii but the flowers are smaller and the leaves usually less lobed. It is an annual up to 1.2 m long, densely white-hairy, corolla white with purple centre. In Sudan a decoction of the aerial parts is taken as a blood purifier.

Astripomoea rotundata

Astripomoea rotundata (Pilg.) A.Meeuse is a trailing plant up to 1 m long with large purple flowers, which occurs in Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. In South Africa the crushed root or an extract from the root is applied to inflammations and swellings. It is in particular used to treat eye inflammations.

Astripomoea malvacea can be found flowering throughout the year as long as water is available.

Astripomoea malvacea occurs in grass savanna, bushland, cultivated soil, roadsides, riversides and along swamps, from sea-level up to 2250 m altitude.

Astripomoea malvacea is propagated by seed.

Astripomoea malvacea has a large area of distribution and adapts easily to human environments. It is therefore not threatened by genetic erosion.

Astripomoea malvacea has several local medicinal uses indicating antibacterial activity. However, very few research has been done concerning its phytochemistry and none concerning its pharmacology. As complex alkaloids are present, safety studies need to be done as well.

• Burkill, H.M., 1985. The useful plants of West Tropical Africa. 2nd Edition. Volume 1, Families A–D. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom. 960 pp.
• Manos, P.S., Miller, R.E. & Wilkin, P., 2001. Phylogenetic analysis of Ipomoea, Stictocardia, and Turbina suggests a generalized model of morphological evolution in morning glories. Systematic Botany 26(3): 585–602.
• Neuwinger, H.D., 2000. African traditional medicine: a dictionary of plant use and applications. Medpharm Scientific, Stuttgart, Germany. 589 pp.
• Ott, S.C., Tofern-Reblin, B., Jenett-Siems, K., Siems, K., Muller, F., Hilker, M., Onegi, B., Witte, L. & Eich, E., 2007. Unusual tropane alkaloid pattern in two African convolvulaceous species. Phytochemistry and chemotaxonomy of the Convolvulaceae, Part 20(1). Zeitschrift für Naturforschung, B, Chemical Sciences 62(2): 285–288.
• Verdcourt, B., 1963. Convolvulaceae. In: Hubbard, C.E. & Milne-Redhead, E. (Editors). Flora of Tropical East Africa. Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations, London, United Kingdom. 161 pp.

• Baerts, M. & Lehmann, J., 2012. Astripomoea grantii. [Internet] Prelude Medicinal Plants Database. Metafro-Infosys, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium http://www.metafro.be/prelude. Accessed September 2012.
• Burkill, H.M., 2000. The useful plants of West Tropical Africa. 2nd Edition. Volume 5, Families S–Z, Addenda. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom. 686 pp.
• Gonçalves, M.L., 1987. Convolvulaceae. In: Launert, E. (Editor). Flora Zambesiaca. Volume 8, part 1. Flora Zambesiaca Managing Committee, London, United Kingdom. pp. 9–129.
• von Koenen, E., 2001. Medicinal, poisonous and edible plants in Namibia. Klaus Hess Verlag, Göttingen, Germany. 336 pp.
• Wilkin, P., 1999. A morphological cladistics analysis of the Ipomoeeae (Convolvulaceae). Kew Bulletin 54(4): 853–876.

• G.H. Schmelzer, PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands

Schmelzer, G.H., 2013. Astripomoea malvacea (Klotzsch) A.Meeuse. In: Schmelzer, G.H. & Gurib-Fakim, A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. Accessed 3 April 2025.

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