Merremia aegyptia

• Botanical Name : Merremia aegyptia (L.) Urb.
• Synonyms : Convolvulus pentaphyllus L.
• Common Name : Panch-Pan-ni-Fudardi
• Plant Family : Convolvulaceae
• Plant Form : Climbers
• Occurrence (Special Areas) : Indroda Park

About Merremia aegyptia Plant :

• Habit : An annual climbing plant.
• Stem : Covered with fulvous hairs from bulbous bases.
• Leaves : Digitately 5-lobed, lobes elliptic or narrower, acute or acuminate, appressedly fulvous hairy on both sides.
• Flowers :
  • Flowers in 3-5-flowered cymes, pedicellate, pedicels hairy.
  • Calyx densely fulvous hairy outside, outer 2 sepals, elliptic-oblong, inner ones ovate, acute, glabrous.
  • Corolla white.
  • Ovary glabrous, 4-celled, stigma bilobed.
• Fruit : Ovoid, the walls papery, seeds 4, glabrous.
• Flowering and Fruiting Time : October onwards.
• Significance :
  • The roots pounded in water is applied on poisonous stings.
  • Ground leaves are applied on swellings of guineaworm.
  • Delicate branches, flowers and fruits are boiled in oil and the oil is applied on eczema and skin diseases.