Botany
A reedlike plant, climbing night on trees through the leaf tendrils. Stem is about 2.5 cm thick at the base, terete and smooth. Leaves are sessile, 15-25 cm long, 2-4 cm wide, lanceolate with a rounded base and tipped with a curled tendril at the apex. Flowers are white, in clusters, shortly pedunculated, with laxly branched panicles, 15-30 cm long. Fruits are rounded and smooth, red when mature, about 5 mm in diameter.

Properties
Stems and rhizomes are diuretic.
Leaves are astringent and vulnerary.

Distribution
In secondary forests, at low and medium altitudes.

Parts used
Stem, rhizome, leaves.
.
Uses
Folkloric
Decoction of stems and rhizome used as diuretic.
Young leaves used for hairwash.
Decoction of flowers used as diuretic.
Used for postpartum baths. (See: Suob)
In Malaysia, boiled root is taken three times daily as health tonic.
In Malaysian Borneo, decoction of roots taken for influenze, cough and vomiting.
In Vanuatu, to induce infertility, a handful of leaf buds are crushed with water and salt; to drink a glass of the juice before breakfast, to continue for the following four days.
Others
• The "huwag" vine from Flagellaria indica is used in the mananambal's Lenten rituals of producing curative concoctions and brews for sorcery.

Availability
Wild-crafted.