Description
Indian Ipecac is a small, slender, much branched, velvety, twining or climbing herb with yellowish sap.
It is mostly found in the sub-Himalayan tract from Uttarakhand to Meghalaya and in the central and peninsular India. The rootstock is 2.5 to 5 cm, thick. Leaves, 6 to 11 cm long, 3.8 to 6 cm wide, with a narrow tip, heart-shaped at the base, thick, velvety beneath when young, smooth above.
Leaf stalks are up to 1.2 cm long. Flowers are small, 1-1.5 cm across, in 2 to 3-flowered fascicles in cymes in leaf axils. Sepal tube is divided nearly to the base, densely hairy outside. Sepals are lance-shaped. Flowers are greenish- yellow or greenish-purple, with oblong pointy petals. Fruit is a follicle.
Plant Specifications
*above specification are indicative only. actual dimensions may vary by +-10%
Common Name |
Porteranthus stipulatus |
Maximum Reachable Height |
2.50 to 3.00 feet |
Flower Colour |
Red, Yellow. |
Bloom Time |
August to December |
Difficulty Level |
easy to grow |
Planting and care
Simply cut off any dead or diseased canes.good watering.One last spray for fungus with a dormant spray is a good idea.
Ipecac care
Each trifoliate leaf has three linear-lanceolate leaflets (to 3.5, long), with the center leaflet being slightly larger than the lateral leaflets. Each leaf has two unusually large stipules (leaf-like bracts) at the leaf base which give the impression of each leaf having five rather than three leaflets. Leaves turn bronze-red in autumn.
Sunlight |
Partial Shade |
Watering |
medium |
Soil |
Well-drained soil |
Temperature |
15 and 30 degrees C |
Fertilizer |
Apply any organic fertilizer |
Ipecac special feature
Woodland gardens. Native plant areas. Naturalized areas. Borde Dappled shade areas of the landscape. Shady edging.
Ipecac uses
Ornamental Use:
- The plant is used for ornamental purpose
Medicinal Use:
- It is traditionally used as a folk remedy in certain regions of India for the treatment of bronchial asthma, inflammation, bronchitis, allergies, rheumatism and dermatitis
Culinary Use:
- This plant closely resembles Gillenia trifoliata, but its leaves are short-stalked, its leaflets are somewhat more deeply cut or toothed, and its large stipules at the base of each leaf persist throughout the life of the plant, whereas in G
- trifoliata, the stipules drop quickly