Johor Ethnobotany Database
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