Botany
An slender twining smooth vine growing 4 to 6 meters. Leaves are ovate, 4 to 7 cm long, dark green, alternate and deeply divided into threadlike segments. Flowers are axillary and solitary, corolla is bell-shaped, scarlet red, up to 3 cm long. Fruit is a capsule, ovoid, 7 to 8 mm long, with smooth, black seeds.

Distribution
Cultivated in urban gardens. Uncommon in thickets at low and medium altitudes.

Chemical constituents and properties
Roots are considered an effective sternutatory.
Hindus consider the plant to have cooling properties.

Uses
Folkloric
Latex is used for coryza.
Pounded leaves applied to bleeding piles.
Crushed leaves used for carbuncles.
Seeds are laxative.

Availability
Wildcrafted and cultivated.