Balloon Vine,Winter cherry AKA CARDIOSPERMUM HALICACABUM

CARDIOSPERMUM HALICACABUM

Balloon Vine 

COMMON NAMES		:	Winter cherry,Balloon Vine, Love-in-a-puff, heart pea, heart-seed,Wel Penela (Srilankan), Kottavan / Modikkottan / Mudakattan (Tamil)
BOTANIC NAME
	Genus	:	CARDIOSPERMUM
	Species	:	HALICACABUM
TYPE		:	annual or sometimes perennial,Biennial, Herbaceous
FAMILY		:	SAPINDACEAE
ORIGINS		:	tropical and subtropical (Africa, Asia ,N. America. Locally naturalized in S. Australia
CLIMATE ZONE		:	6 -8
FLOWER COLOUR		:	white, about 4 mm diameter, pedicels 1.5-3.0 mm long, sepals free 3-4 mm long, petals obovate, 3X1.5 mm, stamens 8, free, overy obovoid, 2-3 mm long. Capsules subglobose, turbinate or broadly pyriform, 1.2-1.8 cm wide, winged at angles. Seeds 3 one in each locule.
BLOOM TIME (Australia)		:	July to August-September December
LIGHT EXPOSURE		:	sunny to sheltered, Unable to  grow in the shade
RATE OF GROWTH USDA)		:	8-11
WIND		:	-
EVERGREEN		:	Yes
HEIGHT		:	Leaves biternate, 6-12 cm long, petioles 1.4-4.0 cm long. leaflets ovate oblong or ovate lanciolate, 1.5-3.0X0.6-1.8 cm, margins irregularly dentate or pinnatifid. Inflorescence axillary, long peduncled with a pair of circinnate   tendrils at the tip of primary peduncle.
SPREAD		:	1-2 Meter
POSITION		:	Climbing or sub scandent herb with a slender, strongly furrowed, globous stem.
RETAIL AVAILABILITY		:	Rare
DRAINAGE		:	well-drained soil
SOIL		:	light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.  It prefers moist soil.
WATER REQUIREMENT		:	Medium to light watering.
MAINTENANCE		:	Manageable, edible and attractive
DISEASES		:	-
Propagation		:	Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. Germination usually takes place within 3 - 4 weeks at 20°c[138]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Medical usage: Treatment for Dysentery, Rheumatoid arthritis, Back pain, Hernia Parts  used  in  treatments: Whole plant, Leaves, Flowers Cardiospermum halicacabum is a pain killer. And used everything from snake bite to arthritic conditions like rheumatism. It promotes the production of urine, increases bowel movement, assists in digestion and possesses anti-inflammatory properties.  small balloon vine is used for the treatment of back pains, joint pains and general body aches in Ayurveda medicine in. Asia. It is also used to treat hemorrhoids, nervous disorders, chronic bronchitis, headaches (leaves crushed and inhaled), fever, skin diseases, sores and wounds as a poultice. The power of the plant lies in the leaves although the entire plant is used in Ayurveda medicine. The tender, young shoots are used as a vegetable and for fodder. A decoction of the Cardiospermum halicacabum roots are given in half tablespoonful doses twice a day for bleeding piles. A paste of the leaves is a dressing for sores and wounds. It is used in rheumatism, lumbago, nervous diseases and as a demulcent in arthritis and in dropsy. It is used for the treatment of skeletal fractures in Ayurveda. The juice of the herb is used to cure ear-ache and to reduce hardened tumours. The leaves are applied as a poultice for skin eruptions. They are coated with castor oil and applied on swellings and tumours. It is also used in preparing an oil for infants when they find it difficult to breathe through the nose. The oil prepared from the leaves acts as an effective external application for arthritis and other painful conditions of the body. The leaves can be crushed well, ground and applied over the lower abdomen of the women after giving birth. It helps in expulsion of waste products out of the uterus. For dandruff, the leaves are soaked in water and then crushed well. This water is used in cleaning the hair. The oil prepared from the paste of the leaves and gingelly oil can be used as a hair tonic and cure for dandruff. The decoction prepared from the whole plant can be given in the dose of 20 to 30 ml for constipation and abdominal discomfort. small balloon vine is a cooling drink when prepared as a porridge.  small balloon vine drink can be taken in the morning as an accompaniment to the regular breakfast in South Asia, a variety of products including hair gels, creams, shampoos (anti-dandruff) and body sprays are manufactured using this herb. In the global market, the herb is used in pharmacology. Medicines for hay fever, allergies, sneezing, watery eyes and other allergies are manufactured using this. The herb is also used to manufacture ointments for skin ailments such as swelling, scaling, blisters, burning and pain.

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