CARDIOSPERMUM HALICACABUM LINN. (BALLOON VINE) – A NOXIOUS WEED WITH TREMENDOUS THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL
Cardiospermum halicacabum Linn. belonging to family Sapindaceae is commonly known as Balloon Vine due to inflated membranous balloon like tri-celled ridged fruits having black seeds with prominent white heart shaped scar.
It is recognized as a medicinal plant of repute in Ayurvedic and Homoeopathic mode of treatment under different names such as Jyotishmati, Kanphuti, Lataphatkari, Indravalli, Heart pea, Love- in-a -puff, Heart seed, Winter cherry etc
NOMENCLATURE OF THE PLANT
The Generic Name Cardiospermum has been derived from two Greek words Cardia (Heart) and Sperm (Seed) as the black shiny seeds have prominent white heart shaped scar or excrescence.
The Common English Name Balloon Vine refers to tender climber with inflated membranous balloon like hanging fruits which are tri-celled and ridged with sepals attached
SYSTEMATIC POSITION
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Bentham and Hooker’s Classification System ( 1862-1883) |
Cronquist’s( 1981) system of Classifiction |
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Division |
Phanerogams |
Kingdom |
Plantae |
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Class |
Dicotyledons |
Subkingdom |
Tracheophyta |
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Series |
Disciflorae |
Superdivision |
Spermatophyta |
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Order |
Sapindales |
Division |
Magnoliophyta |
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Family |
Sapindaceae |
Class |
Magnoliopsida |
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Genus |
Cardiospermum |
Sub Class |
Rosidae |
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Species |
halicacabum |
Order |
Sapindales |
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Family |
Sapindaceae |
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Genus |
Cardiospermum |
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Species |
halicacabum |
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Common Name |
Balloon Vine |
Balloon Vine |
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COMMON NAMES OF CARDIOSPERMUM HALICACABUM
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English |
Balloon vine; heart pea; heart seed; black winter cherry.Love-in-a-puff |
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French |
Pois de coeur, Cardiospermae |
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German |
Blasenerbse |
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Burmese |
Kala Myiet sih |
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Hindi |
Tejovati, कनफटा Kanphata, Kapalphodi |
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Sanskrit |
Indravalli, Jyotishmati , Kamasphita Bunu-uchchhe |
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Bengali |
Lataphatkari Oriya: sakralata , Phutphutkia |
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Assamese |
Kapal phuta |
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Marathi |
Kanphuti,Kapal-phodi, shibjal, kakumardanika |
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Tamil |
Modikkottan, mudakattan |
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Malayalam |
Jyotishmati, katabhi , Valliyazhinja |
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Telgu |
Buddakakara, jyotishmatitige |
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Kannada |
Agniballi, erumballi, kakaralata |
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Punjabi |
Hab-ui-Kulkul |
CULTIVATION OF CARDIOSPERMUM HALICACABUM
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained moist soil mix . It needs full sun to partial shade. In the greenhouse, a soil mix consisting of 2 parts peat moss, 2 parts loam and 1 part sand is used. The plants are kept moist for optimum growth and are fertilized on a weekly basis during the growing season. During the winter months the plants are allowed to go dormant. Germination usually takes place within 3 - 4 weeks at 20°c. February to March is suitable period for its Plantation. It is a frost-tender deciduous climber and can succeed in various types of soils and conditions. Although it is a tender perennial but can be grown as annual.Cardiospermum halicacabum is propagated from seeds. Seeds are sown directly outdoors or indoors 3-4 weeks before transplanting
BRIEF MORPHOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION
Balloon Vine is a woody perennial vine distributed almost globally in the tropics. It is a fast growing vine up to 10 feet. Stems squared and branches green, slender, glabrous or sparsely hairy. Leaves are deeply cut trifoliate, up to 4 inches long, with highly lobed leaflets. Leaves triangular in outline; petioles 3-4 cm; leaflets subsessile; blades thinly papery, margin sparsely serrate or pinnately parted, abaxially sparsely villous on midvein and lateral veins, terminal blade obliquely lanceolate, apex acuminate. The plant climb with tendrils and needs some form of support. Flower stalk has a pair of axial spiral tendrils at the base. The small white flowers bloom from July onwards , flowers are not very showy.
The bisexual flowers are white in colour and possess 4 unequal sepals, 4 narrowly elliptical white petals ,8 stamens ( 4 larger and 4 shorter), slightly longer than petals; filaments sparsely long villous . single carpel with 3 lobed ovary and tri-fid stigma. Each locule of ovary has one black seed with white heart shaped scar. Ovary subglobose, pubescent. Capsules green in the beginning turns brown on ripening , pearlike, 3-celled obtriangular or sometimes nearly ellipsoid. Disc of two glands present below ovary. Seeds black spherical , shiny, 5 mm in diameter with a conspicuous white heart shaped scar or excrescence. The fruit appears Balloon like due to inflated membranous seed cover. The fruit is more interesting, from which the plant gets its common name. It is a brown, thin-shelled, inflated membranous balloon like angled capsule up to 3 cm across.
DISTRIBUTION
The plant is distributed mainly in tropical and sub tropical parts of Asia, S America, Africa, Europe and Australlia.It is common naturally growing weed of China, India, Sri Lanka,Pakistan, Bangla Desh,Burma, Guinea,Java,Mexico, Nigeria,Sudan and different parts of europe.It is found in tropical and subtropical plains of India. It is cultivated in Nurseries,Botanical gardens due to possessing immense medicinal importance and attractive climber with membranous ballon like fruits.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS
The plant possesses active ingredients viz. alkaloids, flavonoids, proanthocyanide, cyanolipids , glycosides, saponins, tri-terpenes, steroids, resins, antibiotics, etc.
It is noxious due to presence of cyanolipids which may release hydrocyanic acid which can result in depression of central nervous system if administered in high dose.
The levels of hydrocyanic acid are below maximum limits fixed for plant derived food stuffs so can be used as safe drug in Veterinary Homoeopathy
MEDICINAL USE
• For local inflammation of skin and rheumatic joints
• For general swelling and tumor
• For dressing of syphilitic sores
• For diarrhoea and dysentry
• For abnormal accumulation of liquid in the tissue
• Promotes vomiting and relieves headaches
Parts used
Leaves, stem ,roots and seeds are used for medicinal purposes
THERAPEUTIC APPLICATION
It is used in treatment of rheumatism, Nervous diseases, stiffness of limbs , snake bite, pulmonary troubles and itchy skin. It is diaphoretic, diuretic, emetic, laxative, stomachic and rubefacient and possesses anti-bacterial, anti- malarial, anti-filarial, anti-epileptic, anti-anxiolytic and anti-convulsant activity.
Roots and leaves are commonly used to cure joint strains.
Decoction of its roots are used to cure bleeding piles.
Decoction of its leaves are used to cure chronic bronchites.
The juice of the leaf is put into the ear to cure earache
When prepared as canjee it is a cooling drink.
The leaves are applied as poultice for skin eruptions,swellings and tumors.
The infusion of the stalks and leaves is used in diarrhoea and dysentry
The decoction of the root is laxative and muilaginous and relieves inflammation of alimentary tract
The decoction of root is also applied for deworming and subcutaneous skin disease
The steam of decoction of leaves when inhaled relieves headache
The seeds are used as a tonic in fever .
A paste of the leaves is used as a dressing for sores and wounds.
It is also used to cure gastric ulcer and problems in mensural cycle.
Oil of its seeds is applied through nose to cure breathing problem in infants.
The fried leaves of Cardiospermum halicacabum are said to bring on the secretion of the menses.
The leaves may be consumed to cause vomitting
The leaves mixed with jaggary and boiled in oil are specific for eye sore
Whole plant steeped in milk is applied to reduce swellings
MODE OF APPLICATION AND DOSE
It is used for medicinal purposes as tea,Decoction,Juice, paste, Poultice,oil, chutney, tooth brush etc.
As Decoction of leaves/root, a teaspoon at a time should be taken twice a day
Leaves and young shoots are edible