Ichnocarpus frutescens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ichnocarpus frutescens |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Ichnocarpus
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| Species: |
frutescens
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Ichnocarpus frutescens is a plant known as the black creeper. It belongs to the dogbane family, which is called Apocynaceae. This plant grows naturally in many parts of China, India, Southeast Asia, and northern Australia.
What the Black Creeper Looks Like
The black creeper is a woody shrub that grows like a liana. This means it can sprawl and climb, reaching up to 10 meters (about 33 feet) long. Its stems can be as thick as 6 centimeters (about 2.4 inches) across.
When you cut the bark of this plant, a creamy white sap comes out. The leaves are usually about 11 centimeters (4.3 inches) long and 4.5 centimeters (1.8 inches) wide.
The plant produces groups of several small flowers. Each flower has a fuzzy outer layer called a calyx, made of sepals. Inside, there's a five-lobed corolla, which is the colorful part of the flower, just under a centimeter long.
After the flowers, the plant grows a fruit called a follicle. These fruits can be quite long, sometimes over 14 centimeters (5.5 inches). The roots of the black creeper can be reddish or purple. In some areas of India, you can find this plant sold in markets.
Traditional Uses of the Plant
The black creeper has been used for a long time in traditional medicine. People have used it to help with different health issues.
Some of these traditional uses include:
- Helping with rheumatism, which causes pain in joints and muscles.
- Treating asthma, a condition that makes breathing difficult.
- Dealing with cholera, a serious illness that affects the stomach.
- Reducing fever, when the body temperature is too high.
Besides its medicinal uses, the strong, fibrous bark of the black creeper is also used to make rope.
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