Japanese name: ガガイモ（蘿藦、鏡芋、芄蘭） Scientific name:Metaplexis japonica
[Overview]
A climbing perennial.
It has creeping underground stems.
A white milky sap comes out when the stems or leaves are damaged.
The stems grow long, twining around other plants.
The leaves are simple and opposite, long ovate-cordate, 5–10 cm long and 3–6 cm wide, with entire margins.
Cymes arise from the leaf axils.
The flowers are star-shaped, 1 cm across and pale purple, with dense hairs on the inside of the corolla.
The corona is ring-shaped.
The fruit is a follicle 8–10 cm long and 2 cm wide, with wart-like projections on the outside.
When ripe, the fruit splits open and releases seeds with long white hairs.
[Uses]
The fruit and leaves are used medicinally.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed.
It prefers sunny, well-drained soil.
