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Family Convolvulaceae
Kalamitmit
Merremia umbellata (Linn.) Hallier f.
YELLOW MERREMIA

Scientific names Common names
Convolvulus aristolochiifolius Mill. Bangbañgau (Ilk.)
Convolvulus caracassanus Willd. ex Roem. & Schult. Kalamitmit (Tagb.)
Convolvulus cymosus Desr. Kamokamotihan (Pamp., Tag.)
Convolvulus luteus M. Martens & Caleotti Malakamote (Pamp.)
Convolvulus multiflorus Mill. Tukod-tukod (P. Bis.)
Convolvulus sagittifer Kunth Belan's vine (Engl.)
Convolvulus umbellatus L. Hog vine (Engl.)
Ipomoea cymosa (Desr.) Roem. & Schult. Yellow merremia (Engl.)
Ipomoea mollicoma Miq. Yellow wood rose(Engl.)
Ipomoea polyanthes Roem. & Schult.  
Ipomoea portobellensis Beurl.  
Ipomoea sagittifer (Kunth) G.Don  
Merremia umbellata (Linn.) Hallier f.  
In Quisumbing's compilation, bangbañgau (Ilk.) is a common name shared by Operculina turpethum and Merremia umbellata.
Merremia umbellata (L.) Hallier f. is an accepted name The Plant List

Other vernacular names
ASSAMESE: Goria loti, Kolia lota.
BENGALI: Sapussunda.
FIJIAN: Sovivi.
GUJARATI: Tumaisa.
INDONESIAN: Lawatan kebo, Areuj geureung, Daun bisul, Aka belan.
MALAYALAM: Kolavara valli, Vayaravalli.
MALAYSIA: Andur nasi, Ulan tapak pelandok.
MARATHI: Motia.
SPANISH: Cajete, Cuajo de ule, Jicama cimarrona, Quilamulillo.
THAI: Chingcho khaao, Thao dok baan tuum.
VIETNAMESE: B[if]m t[as]n.

Botany
Kalamitmit is a twining, herbaceous, more or less hairy vine, with slender stems. Leaves are oblong to oblong-ovate, 8 to 12 centimeters long, pointed at the tip and heart-shaped at the base. Inflorescence bears many flowers, and is borne in the axils of the leaves. Sepals are about 6 millimeters long. Corolla is white or yellow, tubular and funnel-shaped, about 3 centimeters long; limb is about 2.5 centimeters in diameter. Capsule is ovoid, smooth, about 1 centimeter long. Seeds are covered with spreading, black or brown hairs.

Distribution
- Throughout the Philippines, in thickets at medium altitudes.
- Pantropic.

Constituents
- Phytochemical screening of ethanolic extract of leaves yielded leucoanthocyanidins, terpenes and/or steroids, and tannins. (see study below) (8)

Properties
- Plant considered deobstruent, diuretic and alterative.
- Studies have shown antibacterial, cytotoxic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties.

Parts used
Root, leaves, seeds.

Uses

Edibility
- Young leaves may be mixed with other vegetables and eaten.
Folkloric
- Pounded leaves used as poultice for burns and scalds.
- In the Moluccas, poultice of leaves used for sores. Also leaves used as emollient for abscesses and ulcers.
- Decoction of plant used as deobstruent, diuretic and alterative; useful for rheumatism, headaches and neuralgia. Also used for dropping into the ears in cases of auricular ulcers and abscesses.
- In epilepsy, powder of leaves is sniffed up.
- Paste or powder of root, mixed with Java flour and water, applied to swellings.
- In Bengal, seeds are soaked in water to yield a mucilage and used as an aperient or as alterative for cutaneous diseases.

- In Thengal Kacharies of Assam, India, stems applied to cuts. (8)

Studies
Phenolic Compounds / Allelochemical:
Study investigated the potential allelochemicals of the invasive plant Merremia umbellata subsp. orientalis. Results yielded eight phenolic compounds, including a salicylic acid (SA)-derived new natural product, SA 2-O- β-D-(3',6'-dicaffeoyl)-glucopyranoside. Compound 2 showed remarkable inhibition of seed germination of Arabidopsis. (1)
Cytotoxic / Antioxidant:
Study compared the antioxidant potential and cytotoxic activity of Ipomoea pes-caprae and Merremia umbellata. Merremia umbellata showed less cytotoxic activity (less than 75%) compared to Ipomoea pes-caprae (more than 80%). Ipomoea pes caprae showed marginally better antioxidant properties compared to Merremia umbellata. (5)
• Anti-Inflammatory / Antioxidant / Leaves: Study evaluated the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect of total ethanolic extract of M. umbellata leaves. Results showed significant free radical scavenging activities by DPPH, ABTS, and H2O2 assays. There was decreased edema and activity of MPO enzyme in inflamed ears of mice with auricular edema induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). (7)
• Antibacterial Activity / Leaves:
Study evaluated the antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts from calyces of P. angulata and leaves of Merremia umbellata and C. grandiflora against ATCC strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All the extracts showed activity against the bacterial strains used. (see constituents above) (8)

Availability
Wild-crafted.

Updated March 2018 / September 2016

IMAGE SOURCE: Photo / File:Yellow convulvulaceae.jpg / Photo taken by a lake in Kourou, French Guiana by Marialadouce on 7 November 2005 / GNU Free Documentation License / Wikimedia Commons
Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Phenolic Compounds from Merremia umbellata subsp. orientalis and Their Allelopathic Effects on Arabidopsis Seed Germination / Jian Yan, Hai-Hong Bi, Yong-Zhu Liu, Mei Zhang,, Zhong-Yu Zhou and Jian-Wen Tan / Molecules 2010, 15, 8241-8250; doi:10.3390/molecules15118241
(2)
CONVOLVULACEAE / Merremia Dennst. ex Endl. / Gen. Pl., Suppl. 1: 1403 (1841).
(3)
Hogvine / Common names / Flowers of India
(4)
Merremia umbellata / Spanish names / Tropicos
(5)
Phytochemical Analysis, Cytotoxic And Antioxidant Potential Of Ipomoea Pes Caprae(L)R.Br And
Merremia Umbellata(L.)H. Hallier.
/ Minakshi Ganjir, Dipti Ranjan Behera, Sunita Bhatnagar / INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 2, ISSUE 5, MAY 2013
(6)
Merremia umbellata / Synonyms / The Plant List
(7)
ANTIINFLAMATORY AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF MERREMIA UMBELLATA (L.)HALLIER f. (IN SPANISH) / Rev.Cienc.Biomed. 2013;4(1):13-19
(8)
Plants Used as Ethnomedicine by the Thengal Kacharies of Assam, India / Dutta ML / Asian Journal of Plant Science and Research, 2017, 7(1):7-8

(9)
Antibacterial activity of Physalis angulata L., Merremia umbellata L., and Cryptostegia grandiflora Roxb. Ex R.Br. - medicinal plants of the Colombian Northern Coast / David E. Rivera, Yanet C. Ocampo, Jenny  P. Castro, Daneiva Caro, Luis A. Franco / Oriental Pharmacy and Experimental Medicine, March 2015, Vol 15, Issue 1: pp 95-102 / DOI 10.1007/s13596-014-0176-0
It is not uncommon for links on studies/sources to change. Copying and pasting the information on the search window or using the DOI (if available) will often redirect to the new link page.

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