Cryptolepis sinensis (Lour.) Merr.

Family: Asclepiadaceae

Synonym:Cryptolepis elegans Wall. ex G.Don

Bengali/Vernacular name: China karanta.

English name: Elegant cryptolepis.

Description of the plant: A slender, wiry twiner. Leaves petiolate, petioles very slender, lamina oblong or oblong-lanceolate, glabrous above, glaucous beneath, apex apiculate, base rounded. Inflorescence of slender cymes, glabrous; flower greenish-yellow. Fruit a follicle, slender.

Plant parts used: Leaf, stem, root.

Herbal uses: A decoction prepared from the roots of the plant is taken in empty stomach twice a day (50 ml amount each time) for 15 days to treat impotence.

A paste made with the leaves of the plant is applied to the snakebite place by tightly tying with a piece of cloth to treat it.

The leaves and stems of the plant are used externally for the treatment of traumatic injury, and scabies.

Distribution: It is found in Sylhet, Chittagongdistricts, and theChittagong Hill Tracts.

Is this plant misidentified? If yes, please tell us….