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Pergularia daemia

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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.[citation needed] It has been used traditionally to treat a number of ailments.[citation needed] It is sometimes called atufa.[1]

Range and habitat

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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

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The opposite[citation needed] 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[citation needed] when they release ovate seeds covered with velvety hairs.[2]

Pergularia daemia (Trellis-vine) seeds

Phytochemical properties

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

Associated species

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

References

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  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. ^ a b c d "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.
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