Pergularia daemia

Trellis-vine
In Limpopo, South Africa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Asclepiadaceae
Subfamily: Asclepiadoideae
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 Asclepiadoideae family, with an extensive range in the Old World tropics and subtropics.[1] It has been used traditionally to treat a number of ailments.[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[1] 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[1] when they release ovate seeds covered with velvety hairs.[2]

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.[1] Traditionally it has been used as an elmintic, laxative, antipyretic and expectorant, besides treatment of infantile diarrhoea, malarial intermittent fevers, toothaches and colds.[1] Studies have shown hepatoprotective, antifertility, anti-diabetic, analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory properties of substances in its aerial parts.[1]

Associated species

The larvae of the African monarch butterfly (D. c. aegyptius) feed on this species.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bhaskar, V.H. & Balakrishnan, N. (Oct–Dec 2009). "Veliparuthi (Pergularia daemia (Forsk.) Chiov.) – As a phytomedicine: A review" (PDF). International Journal of PharmTech Research. 1 (4): 305-1313. ISSN 0974-4304. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  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.
  • Dressler, S.; Schmidt, M. & Zizka, G. (2014). "Pergularia daemia". African plants – a Photo Guide. Frankfurt/Main: Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg.
  • Kyffhäuser.co.nz: Pergularia daemia subsp. garipensis
  • Media related to Pergularia daemia at Wikimedia Commons
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