Cardiospermum halicacabum
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''Cardiospermum halicacabum'', known as the lesser balloon vine, balloon plant or love in a puff, is a climbing plant widely distributed across tropical and subtropical areas of Africa, Australia, and North America that is often found as a weed along roads and rivers.


Names

The 1889 book 'The Useful Native Plants of Australia' records that other common names for ''Cardiospermum halicacabum'' were "Heart seed”, “heart pea”, or “winter cherry”. It is one among the "Ten Sacred Flowers of
Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
", collectively known as ''
dasapushpam ''Dasapushpam'' ("''dasha''" meaning ten in Sanskrit and "''pushpam''" meaning flowers), or the ten sacred flowers of Kerala, are ten herbs traditionally significant to Keralites, the people of Kerala, India. These herbs are found almost everywher ...
''. The generic name ''Cardiospermum'', which translates to "heart seeds", was given due to its large, black seeds, the white mark of which is reminiscent of a stylized heart. The specific epithet ''halicacabum'' comes from the Greek word for salt barrel and refers to the inflated fruits, after which the common name balloon vine is derived. Mudakathan/முடகத்தான் in
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...
means "clears rheumatism".


Description

The balloon vine is a strongly overgrown, perennial herbaceous
climbing plant A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselv ...
that can even become lignified at the base. Growing over 10 meters high, it can bloom at a height of around 25 cm. The slender, grooved stems are hairy bald to sparsely downy. The 5 to 6 cm long, triangular foliage leaves distributed on the stem are divided into a petiole and
pinnate Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and in ...
leaf blade. The petiole is (0.5 to) 1.5 to 3.5 cm long and the
rachis In biology, a rachis (from the grc, ῥάχις [], "backbone, spine") is a main axis or "shaft". In zoology and microbiology In vertebrates, ''rachis'' can refer to the series of articulated vertebrae, which encase the spinal cord. In this c ...
is 0.4 to 2 cm long. The opposite leaflets are 1 to 2 cm long and the terminal leaflets are 4 to 6 cm long. The leaf margins are serrated. The stipules are reduced to tiny, early-falling scales. On the side of a 5 to 9 cm long, sparsely downy hairy
inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphology (biology), Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of sperma ...
stem, there are two 1 mm long bracts, two circularly rolled
tendril In botany, a tendril is a specialized stem, leaf or petiole with a threadlike shape used by climbing plants for support and attachment, as well as cellular invasion by parasitic plants such as '' Cuscuta''. There are many plants that have tend ...
s and three to seven flowers in a zymous inflorescence.


Flowers and fruit

The functionally
unisexual Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproducti ...
flowers are
zygomorphic Floral symmetry describes whether, and how, a flower, in particular its perianth, can be divided into two or more identical or mirror-image parts. Uncommonly, flowers may have no axis of symmetry at all, typically because their parts are spirall ...
and fourfold double
perianth The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower, and structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla ( petals) or tepals when ...
. Of the four free, concave, durable sepals, the outer two are circular, 2 mm long and
ciliate The ciliates are a group of alveolates characterized by the presence of hair-like organelles called cilia, which are identical in structure to eukaryotic flagella, but are in general shorter and present in much larger numbers, with a differen ...
, while the inner two are oblong-ovate, 3 to 4 mm long and glabrous. The four white to yellowish petals are
obovate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular ...
and about 3 mm long, the upper two are each adorned with woolly scales and the lower two have large, leaf-shaped scales and two glands. In the male flowers are two circles with four free stamens each and rudimentary stamps present. The compressed stamens are hairy and about 2 mm long and the anthers are about 0.5 mm long. In the female flowers are obovate, 2 to 3 mm long and hairy, insulated draft tube ovary with a short fluffy hairy stylus, which ends in a three-part scar and eight staminodes present. The conspicuous,
membranous A membrane is a selective barrier; it allows some things to pass through but stops others. Such things may be molecules, ions, or other small particles. Membranes can be generally classified into synthetic membranes and biological membranes. ...
, almost spherical or broad pear-shaped capsule fruits have a diameter of 3 to 5 cm, initially fluffy hairy, light green "balloons" brown when ripe. There is only one seed in each of the three fruit chambers. A noticeable feature of the individual seeds is a large, light heart-shaped spot on the otherwise almost black seed. The kidney-shaped seeds have a diameter of about 6 mm and at their base a white, heart-shaped aril about 5 mm wide.


Similar species

Cardiospermum grandiflorum, being very similar to ''C. halicacabum'', is a large growing, semi-woody perennial, whereas ''C. halicacabum'' is smaller in size, less woodier and usual an annual plant. ''C. grandiflorum'' also features larger fruit than the more close-packed fruit of ''C. halicacabum''. A kidney shaped hilum exists on ''C. halicacabum'' seeds and a round hilum on ''C. grandiflorum'' seeds. Furthermore, the leaves and stems of ''C. grandiflorum'' have small reddish hairs that lack in ''C. halicacabum''. Lastly, ''C. grandiflorum'' has larger flowers than those of ''C. halicacabum''.


Medicinal uses

The 1989 book records that “The root is
diuretic A diuretic () is any substance that promotes diuresis, the increased production of urine. This includes forced diuresis. A diuretic tablet is sometimes colloquially called a water tablet. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics i ...
and
demulcent A demulcent (derived from the la, demulcere "caress") is a mucilaginous or oleaginous preparation that forms a soothing protective film over a mucous membrane, relieving minor pain and inflammation of the membrane. However, they generally help fo ...
. It is
mucilaginous Mucilage is a thick, gluey substance produced by nearly all plants and some microorganisms. These microorganisms include protists which use it for their locomotion. The direction of their movement is always opposite to that of the secretion of ...
, but has a nauseous taste, and is used to treat rheumatism. Sanskrit writers describe the root as
emetic Vomiting (also known as emesis and throwing up) is the involuntary, forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. Vomiting can be the result of ailments like food poisoning, gastroenteritis ...
,
laxative Laxatives, purgatives, or aperients are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation. Laxatives vary as to how they work and the side effects they may have. Certain stimulant, lubri ...
,
stomachic Stomachic is a historic term for a medicine that serves to tone the stomach, improving its function and increase appetite. While many herbal remedies claim stomachic effects, modern pharmacology does not have an equivalent term for this type of ...
, and rubefacient; they prescribe it in rheumatism, nervous diseases, piles, etc. The leaves are used in
amenorrhoea Amenorrhea is the absence of a menstrual period in a woman of reproductive age. Physiological states of amenorrhoea are seen, most commonly, during pregnancy and lactation (breastfeeding). Outside the reproductive years, there is absence of mense ...
. Rheede says that on the Malabar coast the leaves are administrated for pulmonic complaints. It is also used in homeopathy to treat
eczema Dermatitis is inflammation of the skin, typically characterized by itchiness, redness and a rash. In cases of short duration, there may be small blisters, while in long-term cases the skin may become thickened. The area of skin involved can ...
tic skin. For this purpose, a mother tincture is made from the flowering parts of the plant. This is also processed into creams and ointments. The green parts of the plant are eaten as vegetables. According to Ainslie, the root is considered
laxative Laxatives, purgatives, or aperients are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation. Laxatives vary as to how they work and the side effects they may have. Certain stimulant, lubri ...
, and is given in dosages of half a cupful twice daily. “It would appear that in rheumatism the Hindus ic.administer the leaves internally rubbed up with
castor-oil Castor oil is a vegetable oil Oil pressing, pressed from castor beans. It is a colourless or pale yellow liquid with a distinct taste and odor. Its boiling point is and its density is 0.961 g/cm3. It includes a mixture of triglycerides in ...
, and also apply a paste, made with them, externally; a similar external application is used to reduce swellings and tumours of various kinds.” (Dymock.) Its ingredients include triterpene saponins, halicaric acid,
catechin Catechin is a flavan-3-ol, a type of secondary metabolite providing antioxidant roles in plants. It belongs to the subgroup of polyphenols called flavonoids. The name of the catechin chemical family derives from ''catechu'', which is the tanni ...
tannins Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' (from Anglo-Norman ''tanner'', f ...
,
terpenes Terpenes () are a class of natural products consisting of compounds with the formula (C5H8)n for n > 1. Comprising more than 30,000 compounds, these unsaturated hydrocarbons are produced predominantly by plants, particularly conifers. Terpenes ar ...
,
phytosterol Phytosterols are phytosteroids, similar to cholesterol, that serve as structural components of biological membranes of plants. They encompass plant sterols and stanols. More than 250 sterols and related compounds have been identified. Free phy ...
s, flavonoids and
quebrachitol Quebrachitol is a naturally occurring optically active cyclitol, a cyclic polyol. It can be found in ''Allophylus edulis'' and in the serum left after the coagulation of the ''Hevea brasiliensis'' latex in the operation of rubber tapping. It is al ...
.


Invasive plant

In New Zealand it is listed on the
National Pest Plant Accord The National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA) is a New Zealand agreement that identifies pest plants that are prohibited from sale and commercial propagation and distribution. The Accord initially came into effect on 1 October 2001 between regional coun ...
which identifies pest plants that are prohibited from commercial propagation and distribution. In Bermuda it is listed as a Category 1 Invasive Plant by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Within the United States, four southern states (Alabama, Arkansas, South Carolina, and Texas) have all placed this plant on their individual noxious weed lists. It is a noxious weed in
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
, Australia, where it should be controlled according to the measures specified in a management program published by the local control authority and it must not be sold in some local government areas in the state.Cardiospermum grandiflorum Sweet
Environmental Weeds of Australia


Gallery

File:Cardiospermum_halicacabum_01.jpg, Flower File:Cardiospermum_halicacabum_04.jpg, Unripe fruits File:Cardiospermum_halicacabum_08.jpg, Opened fruit showing seed arrangement File:Cardiospermum_halicacabum_09.jpg, Seeds


References


External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q1377406 Sapindaceae Medicinal plants of Asia Medicinal plants of Africa Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Flora naturalised in Australia