Araceae FAMILY Least Concern

Culcasia scandens

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

The sap is irritant on the skin, and is used as a fish-poison[ 332 Title The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. Publication Author Burkil. H. M. Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 1985 - 2004 ISBN Description Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/ ].

Botanical Description

Culcasia scandens is a climbing plant that can be epiphytic, producing slender, wiry stems up to 5 metres long that attach themselves to tree trunks by means of clasping roots[ 332 Title The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. Publication Author Burkil. H. M. Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 1985 - 2004 ISBN Description Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/ ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of coumarin. This species is widespread with a large size population, though it is potentially threatened by water pollution. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeWest tropical Africa - Senegal to Central African Republic, south to Angola and DR Congo.

HabitatWet river banks[ 515 Title Flora of Tropical Africa Vol 1 - 8 Publication Author Var Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher L.Reeve & Co.; Ashford, Kent. Year 1868 - 1917 ISBN Description Very little information on habitat, range and uses, but gives good descriptions of the plants. It can be downloaded from the internet. ]. Fringing forest and savannah[ 332 Title The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. Publication Author Burkil. H. M. Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 1985 - 2004 ISBN Description Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/ ].