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Summary
Commonly grown in East Asia, Kandra Amrta (Tinospora cordifolia) is a large, deciduous climbing shrub with several twining branches. It is native to India, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka and known for other common names such as heart-leaved moonseed, guduchi, and giloy. Its leaves are simple and alternate, and used as a tonic tea. A dioecious species, female flowers are usually solitary while male flowers occur in clusters. T. cordifolia is valued as medicinal plant. It is one of the ingredients of Amrit Kalash, an Ayurvedic tonic formula. It is also used in the treatment of diarrhea, dysentery, fevers due to cold, indigestion, rheumatism, urinary disease, bronchitis, and infertility. On the other hand, the aerial roots are used for tying bundles.
Physical Characteristics
Tinospora cordifolia is a deciduous Climber growing to 15 m (49ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
UK Hardiness Map
US Hardiness Map
Synonyms
Menispermum cordifolium Willd.
Plant Habitats
Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Leaves
Edible Uses: Tea
Leaves - used as a tonic tea[301 ].
References More on Edible Uses
Medicinal Uses
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Alterative Antidiarrhoeal Antidote Antirheumatic Aphrodisiac Diuretic Dysentery Febrifuge
Febrifuge Infertility Tonic Urinary
The stem, root and whole plant are alterative, antidote, aphrodisiac, diuretic, febrifuge and tonic[146 , 304 ]. The starch obtained from the stem and root of the plant is nutrient and is useful in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery[304 ]. The fresh plant is more effective than the dried[304 ]. A watery extract, known as 'Indian Quinine' is a very effective treatment for fevers due to cold or indigestion[304 ]. The plant is also commonly used in a variety of other complaints including rheumatism, urinary disease, general debility, bronchitis and infertility[304 ]. One of the ingredients of the Ayurvedic tonic formula Amrit Kalash[301 ].
References More on Medicinal Uses
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Other Uses
String
Agroforestry Uses: Some species in this genus are the larval hosts of fruit-piercing noctuid moths that cause significant damage to crops of Citrus (particularly Mandarins) and Dimocarpus longan (Longan) in Thailand[266 ]. Other Uses The aerial roots are used as a tying material for tying bundles[454 ].
Special Uses
References More on Other Uses
Cultivation details
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if seed is required.
References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information
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Plant Propagation
Seed - Cuttings - very easy, the plant naturally produces aerial roots in the wild.
Other Names
If available other names are mentioned here
Amarlata, Bael tiga, Kanda amrta, Rasakinda, amariat, amarlata, ambarvel, amirtavalli, amrita, amritalata, amrithaballi, amrta, amrtavalli, amrulballi, amrutaballi, amruth, amrutoballi, amrytu, amudam, amutavalli, am?tavalli, am?ta, asasi, batindu, cañcivi, chakrangi, chinnodbhava, chinnodbhava, chittamrutu, cìnthil tha??u (stem), cinthil ko?i, comavalli, dhira, gadancha, gado, gaduchi, galac, galo, garham, garo, garum, gharol, gilo, giloe, giloy, giroli, golancha, guduchi, guduci, guducika, gulancha, gulancha tinospora, gularish, gulbel, gulo, gulochi, guloe, guluchi, guluncha, gulvel, gulwel, gurach, gurcha, gu?ucika, gu?uci (stem), heart leaved mooseed|rasakinda, indian tinospora, kunali, kundalli, ku??ali, liane goulancha, liane serpent, madhuka, madhuparne, madhuparni, madhupar?i, manpala, ningilo, peyamarytam, sadi, seendal, seendil kodi, siddhilata, siddhilate, silam, sindil kodi, sittamrytu, somida, thippateega, uganiballi.
Native Range
Coming Soon TROPICAL ASIA: Bangladesh, India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Kerala, Sikkim), Sri Lanka, Myanmar
Weed Potential
Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section.
Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : This taxon has not yet been assessed
Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.
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Author
(Willd.) Hook.f. & Thomson
Botanical References
Links / References
For a list of references used on this page please go here
A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.
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