Mansoa alliacea

(Lam.) A. H. Gentry

Garlic vine

BignoniaceaeLeavesSpice/Beverage

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(c) Danielle Aube, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)

iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Steve Maldonado Silvestrini, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves - flavouring, Spice

The leaves and stems are used as a condiment or spice for their garlic flavour and odour. The bark and dried leaves are used as a seasoning that is added to salt meals.

Where to Find It

It is a tropical plant. In XTBG Yunnan.

Amazon*, Asia, Brazil, China, Dominican Republic, FSM, Guyana, India, Myanmar, Peru, Pohnpei, Puerto Rico, SE Asia, South America, West Indies,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Antigua & Barbuda, Armenia, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bolivia, Brazil, Bahamas, Bhutan, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Micronesia, Grenada, Georgia, French Guiana, Guyana, Haiti, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jamaica, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, St Kitts & Nevis, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, St Lucia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Suriname, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Trinidad & Tobago, Taiwan, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, St Vincent, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A climber. It produces several woody vines from the root. It grows 2-3 m tall. It smells or garlic when crushed. The stem is 4 angled. The leaves have 3 leaflets. The end leaflets develops into a long tendril divided into 3 prongs. The leaves are bright green and 15 cm long. The flowers are purple with a white throat. They are funnel shaped. They fade with age.

How to Grow

A plant of the tropical rainforests. Prefers a moisture-retentive, humus-rich soil. The crushed foliage smells strongly of garlic.

Propagation: Seed - Cuttings of ripe wood.

Medicinal Uses

It is a plant remedy in the Amazon for pain and inflammation from arthritis and rheumatism, as well as colds, flu, fever, diarrhea and skin ulcers. The bark is used in ayahuasca preparations. Some capsule and leaf products are sold in stores in Brazil and Peru, and can be found as an ingredient in several other multi-herb formulas for cold, flu, and pain.

Other Uses

The stem has a garlic odour and is used as an incense and an insect repellent. The smoke from burning leaves is used as a fumigant in order to repel bats. This plant is being tested as a method of controlling shoot borers (Hypsipyla sp.) when planted in association with timber species such as Cedrela and Swietenia.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Mansoa alliacea, or garlic vine, is a species of tropical liana in the family Bignoniaceae. It is native to Northern South America, and has spread to Central America and Brazil.

Names & Synonyms

Aaxux ts'aah, Ajp sacha, Boens, Cipo d'alho, Kyet-thun-phyu-nwe, Nia boens

Adenocalymma alliaceum (Lam.) MiersAdenocalymma obovatum Urb.Bignonia alliacea Lam.Bignonia citrifolia VitmanPachyptera alliacea (Lam.) A. H. GentryPseudocalymma alliaceum (Lam.) Sandwith

References (7)

Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 3, 7:394. 1861 (As Adenocalymna alliaceum)
Englberger, L., et al, 2006, Documentation of the traditional food system of Pohnpei. Indigenous People's food systems. Chp 6 p 119
Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 522
Martin, F.W. & Ruberte, R.M., 1979, Edible Leaves of the Tropics. Antillian College Press, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. p 178 (As Adenocalymna alliaceum)
Omawale, 1973, Guyana's edible plants. Guyana University, Georgetown p 67 (As Pseudocalymma alliaceum)
Seidemann J., 2005, World Spice Plants. Economic Usage, Botany, Taxonomy. Springer. p 6 (As Adenocalymna alliaceum)
Terra, 1966, (As Adenocalymna alliaceum)