''Mansoa alliacea'', or garlic vine, is a species of tropical

liana A liana is a long-Plant stem, stemmed Woody plant, woody vine that is rooted in the soil at ground level and uses trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the Canopy (biology), canopy in search of direct sunlight. T ...

in the family

Bignoniaceae Bignoniaceae () is a Family (biology), family of flowering plants in the Order (biology), order Lamiales commonly known as the bignonias or trumpet vines.Vernon H. Heywood, Richard K. Brummitt, Ole Seberg, and Alastair Culham. ''Flowering Plant ...

. It is native to Northern South America, and has spread to

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

and Brazil.

Description

The plant can be described as a shrub or a

since it produces numerous woody shoots from the root and reaches a height of 2 to 3 m. The stems are almost bare and slightly scaly. The short-stalked leaves are opposite and

trifoliate The following terms are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (that is, the leaf blade or 'lamina' is undivided) or compound (that is, the leaf blade is divided into two or more leaflets ...

. The

petiole Petiole may refer to: *Petiole (botany), the stalk of a leaf, attaching the blade to the stem *Petiole (insect anatomy) In entomology, petiole is the technical term for the narrow waist of some hymenopteran insects, especially ants, bees, and ...

is up to 3 centimeters long. The slightly leathery, short-stalked, egg-shaped to elliptical leaflets are almost

glabrous Glabrousness () is the technical term for a lack of hair, down, setae, trichomes, or other such covering. A glabrous surface may be a natural characteristic of all or part of a plant or animal, or be due to loss because of a physical condition, ...

, slightly scaly, entire and rounded, pointed to pointed with a pointed, rarely rounded to truncated base. The middle leaflet is often replaced by a long, usually three-part, often falling

tendril In botany, a tendril is a specialized Plant stem, stem, leaf or Petiole (botany), petiole with a thread-like shape used by climbing plants for support and attachment, as well as cellular invasion by parasitic plants such as ''Cuscuta''. There ar ...

. The slightly glandular leaflets are 10 to 27 centimeters long. The leaflet stalks are up to 3 centimeters long. The pseudo

stipule In botany, a stipule is an outgrowth typically borne on both sides (sometimes on just one side) of the base of a leafstalk (the petiole (botany), petiole). They are primarily found among dicots and rare among monocots. Stipules are considered part ...

s are inconspicuous.

Inflorescence

Axillary, few-flowered and thyroid-shaped inflorescences are formed. The large, slightly fragrant,

hermaphrodite A hermaphrodite () is a sexually reproducing organism that produces both male and female gametes. Animal species in which individuals are either male or female are gonochoric, which is the opposite of hermaphroditic. The individuals of many ...

and stalked, funnel-shaped flowers with double

perianth The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower. It is a structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla (petals) or tepal ...

are

violet Violet may refer to: Common meanings * Violet (color), a spectral color with wavelengths shorter than blue * One of a list of plants known as violet, particularly: ** ''Viola'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants Places United States * Vi ...

to purple-white. The small, about 1 centimeter long, cup-shaped and slightly glandular calyx is slightly toothed, almost truncated. The corolla is up to 9 centimeters long and the bare corolla tube up to 7 centimeters. The corolla lobes are up to 2 centimeters long. The 4 enclosed

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s are didynamic. The two-chambered and scaly, elongated

ovary The ovary () is a gonad in the female reproductive system that produces ova; when released, an ovum travels through the fallopian tube/ oviduct into the uterus. There is an ovary on the left and the right side of the body. The ovaries are end ...

is superior, the style with two-lobed stigma is enclosed. There is a discus. The plant flowers abundantly twice a year, in autumn to winter and in spring (though it may also have some flowers sporadically throughout the year). The fruit is ribbed, angular, pointed, almost bare, multi-seeded capsules with a persistent calyx, up to 40 centimeters long and up to 3.5 centimeters wide. The seeds are winged on both sides and are up to 5-6 centimeters long with the wings; the wings can also be reduced.

Distribution

It is native to tropical South America, where it can be found growing wild in the tropical rainforests of

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

(including the

Amazon forest The Amazon rainforest, also called the Amazon jungle or Amazonia, is a Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, moist broadleaf tropical rainforest in the Amazon biome that covers most of the Amazon basin of South America. This basin ...

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

, the

Guianas The Guianas, also spelled Guyanas or Guayanas, are a geographical region in north-eastern South America. Strictly, the term refers to the three Guianas: Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, formerly British Guiana, British, Surinam (Dutch colo ...

, and also in

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

Cultivation

''Mansoa alliacea'' has been exported overseas, and grows in the favourable climates of (for example) Puerto Rico,

Southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost region of Africa. No definition is agreed upon, but some groupings include the United Nations geoscheme for Africa, United Nations geoscheme, the intergovernmental Southern African Development Community, and ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

and India. It is cultivated in the West Indies. Among the

mestizo ( , ; fem. , literally 'mixed person') is a term primarily used to denote people of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry in the former Spanish Empire. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to people who are culturall ...

s of the

Amazon rainforest The Amazon rainforest, also called the Amazon jungle or Amazonia, is a Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, moist broadleaf tropical rainforest in the Amazon biome that covers most of the Amazon basin of South America. This basin ...

it is known as ''ajo sacha'', a Spanish-Quechua name that means "forest garlic" or "wild garlic".

Uses

It is a plant remedy in the Amazon for pain and

inflammation Inflammation (from ) is part of the biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. The five cardinal signs are heat, pain, redness, swelling, and loss of function (Latin ''calor'', '' ...

from

arthritis Arthritis is a general medical term used to describe a disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, Joint effusion, swelling, and decreased range of motion of ...

and

rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including a ...

, as well as colds, flu, fever,

diarrhea Diarrhea (American English), also spelled diarrhoea or diarrhœa (British English), is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements in a day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration d ...

and

skin ulcer An ulcer is a sore on the skin or a mucous membrane, accompanied by the disintegration of tissue. Ulcers can result in complete loss of the epidermis and often portions of the dermis and even subcutaneous fat. Ulcers are most common on the skin o ...

s. The bark is used in

ayahuasca AyahuascaPronounced as in the UK and in the US. Also occasionally known in English as ''ayaguasca'' (Spanish-derived), ''aioasca'' (Brazilian Portuguese-derived), or as ''yagé'', pronounced or . Etymologically, all forms but ''yagé'' descen ...

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.Mansoa alliacea
by Some Magnetic Island Plants. Retrieved 20 September 2024.

Gallery

File:กระเทียมเถา Mansoa alliacea (Lam.) A (16).jpg, ''M. alliacea'' flowers in Thailand File:Mansoa alliacea (53150246900).jpg, ''M. alliacea'' leaves File:Mansoa alliacea-1-xavier cottage-yercaud-salem-India.jpg, ''M. alliacea'' fruit Mansoa alliacea 11zz.jpg, Tendrils Flower of Mansoa alliacea in Ishigaki, Okinawa.jpg, Flower closeup MCBG Mansoa alliacea.JPG, Groundcover ഗാർളിക് വൈൻ ചെടി.jpeg, Shrubby growth Mansoa alliaceae-3-xavier cottage-yercaud-salem-India.jpg, Climbing on barbed wire fence, Salem, India

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q6751798 Flora of northern South America Flora of Puerto Rico Flora of Ecuador Flora of Venezuela Flora of the Guianas alliacea Flora of Costa Rica Vines Flora without expected TNC conservation status Plants described in 1980