Paederia foetida L.

Description:

Kampung Hilir, Alor Setar, Kedah, Malaysia.Paederia foetida L. Rubiaceae. CN: [Malay - Daun sekentut, Akar sekentut], Skunk vine, Lesser Malayan stinkwort. Native of China, Japan, Taiwan and the Indo-Malaya ecozone, but now naturalized elsewhere. Stem climbing, slender; leaves opposite with stipules, elliptical, tip pointed, base usually broad and narrow, ca 5-7 cm long and 2.5-4 cm wide, foul smelling when bruised. Inflorescence axillary, ca 40cm long, loose with slender, spreading branches. Flower tubular, corolla ca 1cm, nearly hairy outside, white or pink-violet with reddish-purplish throat. Fruit, nearly spherical with a thin slimy skin. In USA considered an invasive weeds. The leaves is one of the many ingredient for the preparation of 'Nasi Kerabu' (Herb rice) in the northern states of peninsular Malaysia. Also used by the Malays for the treatment of sprue in children and diarrhea. Synonym(s):Gentiana scandens Lour.Paederia magnifica NoronhaPaederia scandens (Lour.) Merr.Paederia tomentosa BlumeRef and suggested reading:www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?26300en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paederia_foetida