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Botany
Baling-uai is a reedlike
plant, climbing night on trees through the leaf tendrils. Stem
is about 2.5 centimeters thick towards the base, terete and smooth. Leaves
are sessile, 15 to 25 centimeters long, variable in breadth, 2 to 4 centimeters or more, lanceolate from a rounded
base and terminating in a curled tendril at the apex. Flowers are
white, borne in clusters, shortly pedunculated, with irregular laxly branched
panicles, 15 to 30 centimeters long. Outer perianth-segments are broadly ovate or suborbicular, and the inner segments similar, more or less unequal. Fruits are rounded and smooth, red when
mature, about 5 millimeters in diameter.
Distribution
- From Batanes Islands to Mindanao and Palawan, in all or most islands and provinces, in secondary forests at low and medium altitudes.
- Also occurs in tropical Africa, and in tropical Asia through Malaya to tropical Australia and the Marianne Islands.
 Properties
- Stems and rhizomes are diuretic.
- Leaves are astringent and vulnerary.
Parts
used
Stem, rhizome, leaves.
.
Uses
Folkloric
- Decoction of stems and
rhizome used as diuretic.
- Leaves are astringent and vulnerary.
- Plaster of leaves used on wounds.
- Tips of leaves applied to sore eyes.
- Young leaves used for making hairwash and to promote hairgrowth.
- Decoction of flowers and leaves used as diuretic.
- Used for postpartum baths. (See: Suob)
- Reported use of leaves for contraception.
- In Malaysia, boiled root
is taken three times daily as health tonic. The Murut tribe in Sabah boil the whole plant and use the water as a bath for semi-paralytic conditions.
- In Malaysian Borneo, decoction of roots taken for influenza, cough and vomiting.
- In Vanuatu, to induce infertility, a handful of leaf buds are crushed with water and salt; to drink a glass of the juice before breakfast, to continue for the following four days.
Others
• The "huwag" vine from Flagellaria indica is used in
the mananambal's Lenten rituals of producing curative concoctions and
brews for sorcery.
• Weaving: Sometimes used for basketry, but of inferior quality to rattan. Also used in making fish traps, nets and rope.
Studies
• Anti-Dengue Activity: Study investigated the in-vitro anti-dengue activity of Thai medicinal plants. Results showed ethanol extracts of Flagellaria indica exhibited in-vitro inhibitory activity on DENV-2. Results suggest a potential for medicinal plants in the development of anti-DENV drug.
Availability
Wild-crafted. |
