Cassytha filiformis
L.
Dodder laurel
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(c) dakoda, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Summary
Source: WikipediaCassytha filiformis or love-vine is an orangish, wiry, parasitic vine in the family Lauraceae. It is found in coastal forests of warm tropical regions worldwide including the Americas, Indomalaya, Australasia, Polynesia and tropical Africa. It is an obligate parasite, meaning it cannot complete its life-cycle without another host plant. Research in Florida (in southeast United States) has found that love-vine inhibits gall wasps by attacking the galls (small growths on plants) that the wasps create for their young.
Description
A fine straggling leafless creeper or vine that climbs over plants and gets at least some if its food from the other plants. The leaves are very small and like scales, and clasp the stem. The stem is orange to yellow and twines around plants, attaching by small suckers. The flower is small and the sepals are like bracts. The petals are white and fleshy. The flowers are 0.1-0.2 cm long. It has very small, berry-like fruit (4-5 mm across) which are green when young and turn white when ripe. The flesh is clear and the black seed can be seen from the outside.
Edible Uses
The ripe fruit is eaten, though there is only a small amount of edible flesh around the central seed. The fruit are especially enjoyed by children.
Traditional Uses
The ripe fruit is eaten. There is only a small amount of edible flesh around the central seed. CAUTION: Some Cassytha have an alkaloid that can cause abortion and should not therefore be eaten by pregnant women.
Medicinal Uses
The plant is astringent, diuretic, emmenagogue and tonic. It has a long history of use in traditional medicine, being used in many areas to treat a wide range of complaints. The whole plant, but especially the stem, contains a series of alkaloids, tannins, saponins and leucanthocyanins. Several of the alkaloids show pharmacological activities when tested in isolation. Methanolic and aqueous extracts of the whole stems have shown marked uterotonic effects which could be compared to that of oxytocin. An ethanol extract exhibited molluscicidal activity at a dose of 100 ppm, and a methanol extract exhibited antimicrobial activity against the microscopic parasite Trypanosoma vivax. An infusion of the stems is used in the treatment of digestive problems such as indigestion, biliousness and diarrhoea; feverish conditions including malaria; urinary system problems, including nephritis and oedema; headache, hepatitis, piles, sinusitis and spermatorrhoea. It is also often used by women to stimulate menstruation, hasten parturition and to suppress lactation after a stillbirth. The pounded stems are given as a vermifuge and for other intestinal troubles. A decoction of the stems is drunk to relieve itch and eczema. Externally, the stems are widely used to treat a range of skin complaints, including itchy conditions, eczema, ulcers and parasitic conditions of both skin and scalp. It is also used, in an infusion, as an eyewash. The whole plant is often used for treating venereal discharges, urethritis, gonorrhoea and syphilis. The stems are normally used fresh, but can also be dried for later use.
Known Hazards
Some Cassytha species contain an alkaloid that can cause abortion and should not be eaten by pregnant women.
Distribution
A tropical plant. It grows in lowland mangrove swamp areas and in scattered forest. It suits sandy and infertile areas and is often on coastal dunes. It occurs throughout the tropics. In Yunnan.
Where It Grows
Africa, American Samoa, Andaman Is.,Asia, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Terr., BIOT, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Caroline Islands, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, China, Chuuk, Colombia, Comoros, Congo R, Cook Is., Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, FSM, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guam, Guatemala, Guiana, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Middle East, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nambia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, North America, Pacific, Palau, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Rotuma, Rwanda, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tasmania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Torres Strait, Trinidad-Tobago, Turks & Caicos, Tuvalu, Uganda, USA, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Wallis and Futuna, West Africa, West Indies, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Cultivation
It grows wild. Seeds germinate in the soil, but the plants attach to another plant getting support and food from the host plant.
Propagation
Seed - has an inbuilt dormancy and only germinates after it has been softened by microbial action.
Other Uses
The whole plant is used by local people as a paste for paper-making. The stems, mashed in water, are the source of a brown dye. The stems are dried, powdered and mixed with sesame oil to make a mucilaginous hair tonic, but this use may be attributed to the luxuriant hair-like appearance of the stems.
Other Information
The fruit are enjoyed especially by children.
Notes
There are 15-20 Cassytha species. Sometimes they are in the family Cassythaceae.
Nutrition
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | 86.9 | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — |
Synonyms
Also Known As
Agasi, Akar pengalasan, Akasa balli, Akasbel, Akashavalli, Amarbeli, Amarvela, Ariwurrini, Beluballi, Burrun burrun, Chemar batu, Cossagos, Dacacdufe, Devil's guts, Djirawan, Erumaikkottan, Famahotrakanga, Fetai, Feteinoa, Gau laululu'i, Hitubelagi, Kalku, Koh Samet, Lu'on ravaka, Lwandao, Nulu, Panabanab, Phak mai, Rayong, Redea-de-santcho, Saksinji, Sangazingi, Sangga langit, Shwe-nwe, Tali puteri, Tega, Te ntanini, Tjelknganiny, Tjirrkinin, Toxanh, Udamba, Umbulivella, Velanbuli, Wolle dialla, Wu gen teng, Yarrngiyarrngi, Yugulu, Zangazanga
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