Stephania dinklagei
(Engl.) Diels
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(c) Carel Jongkind, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Carel Jongkind
Description
A creeper or vine. It can grow 20 m long. The stems are woody. The leaves are dark shiny green above and dull underneath. The flowers are greenish. The fruit stalks are red and the fruit green and turns yellow when ripe. The seeds are black. The seeds are about 1 cm long.
Medicinal Uses
The plant is used medicinally.
Known Hazards
The pounded stems are used in the preparation of a fish poison.
Distribution
It is a tropical plant. It grows up to 1,500 m above sea level.
Where It Grows
Africa, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo DR, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, West Africa,
Cultivation
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.
Other Uses
Strong rope made from the stem is known in Sierra Leone as ‘Government rope’ owing to its official use as such in the past.
Synonyms
Also Known As
Ebewaki, Gbejedi, Mboame, Ra-nes
References (1)
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
