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Description: Cayratia trifolia is a perennial woody vine with persistent flaky bark belongs to the grape family, Vitaceae, which contains 11 genera and about 700 species. It has palmate leaves with three lobes (i.e., trifoliate, as its specific scientific name trifolia indicates). This deciduous climber can grow up upon trees or other supports as a vine to 20 m (~60 ft) in length, with stems produced from tuberous rootstock and be as much as 7 cm (2.5 in) in diameter. The stems attach themselves by means of tendrils that end in adhesive disks. The compound, branched inflorescences (groups of flowers) are produced at the axils (the angle made by a petiole, or leaf stem, with the stem). The flowers of C. trifolia are yellow-greenish in color, and its dark-colored fruits are globular and about 1 cm (~0.4 in) in diameter.
Distribution: Cayratia trifolia is native to some tropical areas of Australia, India, Asia and in the islands of Palau and Yap in Micronesia. It is often found in open forest environments, climbing up the stems or trunks of trees but also growing in vine thickets.
Uses by Island or Island Group: The leaves of Cayratia trifolia apparently contain several flavonoids, such as cyanidin and delphinidin, and hydrocyanic acid is said to be present in the stem, leaves and roots; in India, C. trifoliahas been used widely for a diversity of medicinal applications (e.g., see Kumar et al. 2011), and therapeutic usage has been reported from western Micronesia (see below).
Uses in Palau: Although the sap of the stems and leaves of Cayratia trifolia are said to be poisonous, in Palau, where the plant is reportedly known as Berdákl, Perdakl, Pertakl or Perdawakl in Palauan, the roasted stem and leaves have been reportedly applied to the affected areas for those suffering from yaws (or framboesia, a tropical infection of the skin, bones and joints caused by a spirochete bacterium); and according to Obake, the stem sap is also said to have been used as an aphrodisiac (as a “narcotic,”, see Defillips et al.1988:23).
Uses in Yap: The crushed leaves and stems of Cayratia trifolia (reportedly known as Thithimitenimen in Yapese) are reportedly used in Yap “as an eye medicine for chickens; in such cases, the crushed leaves and stems of this vine are blown on the infected eyes of the sick chicken.” In addition, according to Obake (see Defillips et al. 1988:16), the juice of the leaves and stems of this vine are drunk as an aphrodisiac; and “For neuralgia, young leaves of Pterocarpus indicus are crushed together with young stems of Cayratia trifolia, and the juice is put into the sap of coconut and drunk together with coconut milk.”