Pergularia daemia
In Limpopo, South Africa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Pergularia
Species:
P. daemia
Binomial name
Pergularia daemia
Synonyms
  • P. daemia (Forssk.) Blatt. & McCann
  • P. extensa (Jacq.) N.E.Br.
  • Asclepias daemia Forssk.
  • Daemia extensa (Jacq.) R.Br. ex Schult.

Pergularia daemia, the trellis-vine, is a hispid, perennial vine in the family Asclepiadaceae, with an extensive range in the Old World tropics and subtropics. It has been used traditionally to treat a number of ailments. It is sometimes called atufa.[1]

Range and habitat

It occurs from the Malay Peninsula to Burma, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan through Arabia and Egypt to central and southern Africa.[2] It is found along roadsides, in woodland or along riparian forest fringes.[3]

Description

The opposite and broadly ovate to suborbicular leaves are very variable in size, with petioles of varying length. The leaves are almost glabrous above and velvety below.[2]

In the northern hemisphere the flowers appear from mid to late winter, and these are carried on lateral cymes. The flower corolla forms a greenish-yellow or dull white tube.[2] The fruit mature after some 13 to 14 months when they release ovate seeds covered with velvety hairs.[2]

Pergularia daemia (Trellis-vine) seeds

Phytochemical properties

Terpenoids, flavonoids, sterols and cardenolides are among the chemicals that have been isolated from either the leaves, stems, shoots, roots, seeds or fruit. Traditionally it has been used as an anthelmintic, laxative, antipyretic and expectorant, besides treatment of infantile diarrhoea, malarial intermittent fevers, toothaches and colds. Studies have shown hepatoprotective, antifertility, anti-diabetic, analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory properties of substances in its aerial parts.

Associated species

The larvae of the African monarch butterfly (Danaus chrysippus aegyptius) feed on this species.

References

  1. ↑ Odugbemi, Tolu O; Akinsulire, Odunayo R; Aibinu, Ibukun E; Fabeku, Peter O (2006-11-13). "Medicinal Plants Useful for Malaria Therapy in Okeigbo, Ondo State, Southwest Nigeria". African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines. 4 (2): 191–198. doi:10.4314/ajtcam.v4i2.31207. ISSN 0189-6016. PMC 2816451. PMID 20162091.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Pergularia daemia (Forssk.) Chiov". Flora of Pakistan. efloras.org. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
  3. ↑ Hyde, M.; et al. "Pergularia daemia (Forssk.) Chiov". Flora of Zimbabwe. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.