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Veldt Grape
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Veldt Grape
ative Photo: Shailendra Patil
Common name: Veldt Grape, Devil's Backbone, adamant creeper, bone setter, edible stemmed vine, square-stalked vine, winged treebine • Assamese: হাড়-ঘুনুচা hara-ghunuca, হাড়জোৰা লতা harajoraa-lata • Bengali: হাড়জোড়া harajora • Gujarati: અસ્થિશૃંખલા asthisrnkhala, હાડસાંકળ hadasankal, હડસાંકળ hadasankal • Hindi: अस्थिभंग asthibhanga, हड़जोड़ harajora • Kannada: ಮಂಗರವಳ್ಳಿ mangaravalli, ಸಂದುಬಳ್ಳಿ sanduballi, ವಜ್ರವಲ್ಲಿ vajravalli, ಬಕ್ಕುಡಿ Bakkudi • Konkani: ಸಂದ್ ಬಳ್ಳಿ sandu balli • Malayalam: ചങ്ങലംപരണ്ട changalamparanda • Marathi: घणसवेल ghanasvel, घोणसकांडें ghonuskande, कांडवेल kandavel, म्हसवेल mhasvel • Odia: ଅସ୍ଥିଭଙ୍ଗ asthibhanga, ହାଡ଼ଭଙ୍ଗା harabhanga • Sanskrit: अस्थिभङ्ग asthibhanga, अस्थिसंहार asthisamhara, अस्थियुज् asthiyuj, चतुर्धारिन् chaturdharin, चित्रकाण्डाली chitrakandali, काण्डलता kandalata, सिरालक siralaka, वज्रवल्लि vajravalli • Tamil: அருகணி arukani, கிருட்டி kirutti, பிரண்டை pirantai, வச்சிரவல்லி vaccira-valli • Telugu: గుడమతీగ gudametige, నల్లేరు nalleru, వజ్రవల్లి vajravalli • Tulu: ಸಂದ್ ಬಳ್ಳು sandu ballu, ಸಂದ್ ಬೂರು sandu booru • Urdu: هڙجوڙا harjora Source: Names of Plants in India
Botanical name: Cissus quadrangularis    Family: Vitaceae (Grape family)
Synonyms: Cissus quadrangula, Cissus tetraptera, Vitis quadrangularis

Veldt Grape is a perennial shrub reaching a height of 1.5 m and has quadrangular-sectioned branches with internodes 8 to 10 cm long and 1.2 to 1.5 cm wide. Along each angle is a leathery edge (wing). Toothed trilobe leaves 2 to 5 cm wide appear at the nodes. Each has a tendril emerging from the opposite side of the node. Racemes of small white, yellowish, or greenish flowers; globular berries are red when ripe. It is probably native to India or Sri Lanka, but is also found in Africa, Arabia, and Southeast Asia.
Medicinal uses: Veldt Grape has been used as a medicinal plant since antiquity. In siddha medicine it is considered a tonic and analgesic, and is believed to help heal broken bones, thus its name asthisamharaka (that which prevents the destruction of bones). It is said to have antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, anthelmintic, antihemorrhoidal and analgesic activities. It is one of the most commonly used medicinal plants in Thailand.

Identification credit: Shailendra Patil Photographed in Matheran, Maharashtra.

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