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Botany
A climbing vine with tendrils up
to 10 centimeters long. Leaves heart-shaped, 5-10 cm in
diameter, cut into 5-6 lobes. Yellow flowers, about 10 mm long.Rounded,
fleshy green ribbed fruit, with pointed ends.
Distribution
Grows wild year-round in open fields, thickets, and waste places,
at low and medium altitudes.
Parts
utilized
Leaves.
Uses
Folkloric
Juice of young leaves used for
infants and adults as mucolytic in tight and poorly productive
coughs.
Others
Young leaves and fruit are edible.
The young leaves are preferred to the cultivated variety for
use in soups and other culinary inclusions.
Toxicity
None known.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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