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Ipomoea aquatica Forssk.

Common name: Kangkong

Family: Convolvulaceae

Taxonomic classification

Kingdom: Plantae

   Phylum: Tracheophyta

      Class: Magnoliopsida

         Order: Solanales

            Family: Convolvulaceae

               Genus: Ipomoea

                  Species: Ipomoea aquatica Forssk.

Discription

Growth Form: Semi-aquatic, perennial herbaceous creeping vine growing up to 3 m long.
 

Foliage: Leaves smooth and shaped like an arrowhead. Leaf blade is approximately 5 - 15 cm long and 2 - 6 cm wide, while the petiole is about 3 - 14 cm long. Leaves simple and alternate. In water, leaves are held above water.   
 

Stems: Hollow, containing a milky sap.
 

Flowers: Funnel-shaped, bisexual flowers (5 cm wide, 4 – 10 cm long) occur either singly or in small clusters near the leaf axils (area between the petiole and stem). Flowers may be white or pink to light purple.
 

Fruits: Round or oval-shaped capsule (1 cm in diameter) holding 1 - 4 seeds. Capsule becomes woody and brown at maturity. Seeds vary in color from gray, brown to black. Each plant produces about 175 - 245 seeds.

Habitat

Moist, marshy or inundated localities, shallow pools, ditches, rice fields, forming dense masses. Also found along roadsides at elevations from sea-level up to 1,000 metres.

Habit

Sprawling vine

Ethnobotanical uses

Medicinal uses:

Young shoots - used to treat diabetis

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Leaves - used to treat coughs, cool down a fever and treat on sores and boils

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Bud - treat ringworm

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Roots - against haemorrhoids, to counter the effects of drinking unhealthy water, and treatment of opium or arsenic poisoning

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Non-medicinal uses:

Leaves and young shoots - edible

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