Merremia aegyptia

(Linn.) Urban

Hairy merremia, Hairy woodrose

Convolvulaceae Edible: Seeds - coffee Potential hazards — see below

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Description

A scrambling herb. It can be a climber. It keeps growing from year to year. The leaves have five leaflets. These are 3-9 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. The flowers are white. The mature fruit is very hairy. It is a capsule with 4 sections and is 11 mm across.

Edible Uses

The seeds are dried, roasted, and ground to make a coffee-like beverage.

Traditional Uses

The seeds are dried and then roasted and ground to make a coffee like drink.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

In the Indigenous system of Medicine, Ipomoea reniformis chois is also known as Merremia emarginata (Burm.f.) Hallier f. has been claimed to be useful for cough, headache, neuralgia, rheumatism, diuretic, inflammation, fever due to enlargement of liver and also in kidney diseases. The tribal people use this plant for deobstruent, diuretic, rheumatism, neuralgia, cancerous wounds, migraine, purgative, snake bites, ulcer, abscesses and glandular swelling.

Known Hazards

Considered a serious weed in Australia.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows in disturbed areas and water drains. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 1,000 m above sea level.

Where It Grows

Africa, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Benin, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Guiana, Guianas, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, India, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, North America, Pacific, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South America*, Suriname, USA, Venezuela, West Africa, West Indies, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

The plant is sometimes grown as an ornamental. It has shattering capsules that disperse the seeds around the parent plant; it often escapes from cultivation and is found naturalized as a weed.

Other Uses

The stems are used for binding, for instance for frames in house building.

Notes

There are about 70 Merremia species. It is considered a serious weed in Australia.

Synonyms

Ipomoea aegyptia L.Ipomoea pentaphylla Jacq.

Also Known As

Ghiabel

References (6)

Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 367
Codjia, J. T. C., et al, 2003, Diversity and local valorisation of vegetal edible products in Benin. Cahiers Agricultures 12:1-12 (As Ipomoea)
Paczkowska, G. & Chapman, A.R., 2000, The Western Australian Flora. A Descriptive Catalogue. Western Australian Herbarium. p 218
Plants of Haiti Smithsonian Institute http://botany.si.edu/antilles/West Indies
Symb. antill. 4:505. 1910

Show all 6 references