Contributor: Pankaj Oudhia
Copyright (c) 2002. All Rights Reserved. Quotation from this document should cite and acknowledge the contributor.
Scientific Name: Cissus quadrangula L.
syn. Vitis quadrangula (L.) Wallich ex Wight & Arn.
English Names: edible-stemmed vine
Common (Indian) Names
Sanskrit: asthisonhara; vajravalli
Hindi: hadjod; hadjora; harsankari
Bengali: hasjora; harbhanga
Marathi: chaudhari; kandavela
Gujrati: chadhuri; vedhari
Telugu: nalleru
Tamil: pirandai
Canarese: mangaroli
Family: Vitaceae
Related Species
The genus Cissus include over 350 species. Some important species are:
Cissus adnata Roxb. syn. Vitis adnata Wall. ex. Wight. (Malyalam: nadena; Telugu: kokkita yaralu)
Cissus discolor Blume syn. Vitis discolor Dalz.
Cissus pallida Planch. syn. Vitis pallida W & A. (Canarese: kondage; Telugu: nalltige; Oriya: takuonoil)
Cissus repanda Vahl. syn. Vitis repanda W & A.
Cissus repens Lan. syn. Vitis repens W & A.
Cissus setosa syn. Vitis setosa Wall.
Distibution: In India, it grow as wild plant. Also under cultivation in fairly large areas.
Botany: Climbing herb, tendrils simple, opposite to the leaves, leaves simple or lobbed, sometimes 3-folialate, dentate. Flowers bisexual, tetramerous, in umbellate cymes, opposite to the leaves, Calyx cup-shaped, obscurely 4-lobed. Fruit globose or obovoid fleshy berries, one seeded, dark purple to black; seeds ellipsoid or pyriform. Flowering and fruiting time May-June.
Medicinal Properties and Uses: It is mainly used as healer of bone fractures. It is one of the very frequently used herb by traditional bone setters of India. (In Hindi Hadj=bone; Jod=to fix). It is also used for piles, asthma, digestive troubles, cough, and loss of appetite.
Ayurvedic formulations: Asthisamharaka juice, powder and decoction of dried stalks.
Chemical Constituents: Stem isolates include 3- keto steroids, onocer-7-en-3a, 21b-diol (I) and onecer-7-en-3a, 21a-diol (II).
Other Uses: Stems and roots yield strong fiber. Young shoots are used in curries.
Cultivation: In India, it is mainly grown in fence and in between tree plantations. The fence wire and trees act as support to this climbing herbs. In many parts, it is grown as field crop and given support with the help of Bamboo sticks.
Climate: It requires warm tropical climate.
Soils: It can be grown in various soils but prefers loamy soils.
Planting Season: Kharif (after commence of monsoon rains in June-July in India).
Propagation: Stem cuttings.
Spacing: 30 × 30 cm.
Nutrients: In general it is grown organically. Initially, farm yard manure is applied (10-12 tonnes/ha.)
Pest Infestation: No major insects or diseases have been reported.
Harvest: It is a perennial crop. Stems are cut and air dried 11 months after sowing. Fresh stem cuttings are sold as planting material.
Internet Resources
My experience and interactions with herb collectors and growers of Chhattisgarh,
India associated with medicinal herb Hadjod
(Cissus quadrangula) http://botanical.com/site/column_poudhia/43_hadjod.html
Interactions with the traditional healers and natives of Bhopalpatnam region,
Chhattisgarh, India having rich traditional
medicinal knowledge about common herbs insects and other animals http://botanical.com/site/column_poudhia/121_bhopalpatnam.html
Traditional medicinal knowledge about common herbs and herbal formulations used
as initial measures in treatment of swellings in
Chhattisgarh, India http://botanical.com/site/column_poudhia/324_swellings.html
Resource person
Pankaj Oudhia
Society for Parthenium Management, (SOPAM)
28-A, College Road, Geeta Nagar
Raipur- 492001 India
E-mail: pankajoudhia@usa.net
Homepage: www.pankajoudhia.com
Phone: 91-771-253243
Mobile: 91-98271-15642
Fax: 91-771-536312