Cyphostemma ternatum (J.F.Gmel.) Desc.

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Wild Grape

In earlier years it was an important food source. Armfuls of the leaves were collected and put with a little added water into a large container to cook, with added salt if to hand. The leaves were then left to simmer. They quickly grow limp and boil down to a relatively small amount of green mush. This had to be gluped hurriedly, rather than chewed and savoured at leisure, as it is peppery and acrid and burns the mouth. However, it is very filling, and eaten in any quantity is said to produce a pleasant but mild feeling of euphoria. The fruit of this vine are edible once they have ripened and turned orange. The root too is edible, and can be eaten raw, but is improved by cooking. It was considered to be most palatable when cooked with lime juice, tamarind juice, or buttermilk. This is true also of ... the leaves, which were sometimes treated in the same way in an attempt to lessen the acridity of the taste. The juice which flows from the leaves was also used: it could be poured off and stored in containers for use, and was considered to provide a good vinegary condiment and flavouring agent which kept well. This plant was used mainly to treat the cases of footrot, or 'trench foot' [J: axsilit] that commonly affected both man and livestock during the wet season - possibly a fungal infection, or perhaps just a result of the bare foot (or hoof) being so continually in contact with wet and mud. A mild attack could be cured by washing the feet with juice of the cooked leaves with added salt, especial attention being given to the areas between the toes. For a more severe case, daily dressings were made of a poultice of cooked leaves and salt which was applied to the affected part, the foot being lightly bandaged between applications. The large moisture-rich leaves were also useful for washing and cleaning, especially after having been held close to the fire to cause the juices to run. (Ref. Plants of Dhofar). The plant has been used in traditional medicine to treat foot infections in humans and livestock. It has also been an important source of food in earlier times. (Ref. Flora of Oman, vol.2).

*Ghazanfar, S. (2007). Flora of the Sultanate of Oman, vol.2: Crassulaceae – Apiaceae. Meise, National Botanic Garden of Belgium (Scripta Botanica Begica, Vol. 36). ISBN 9789072619747 ISSN 0779-2387. *https://en.wikipedia.org *Miller, A., Morris, M. (1988). Plants of Dhofar, the Southern Region of Oman: Traditional, Economic, and Medicinal Uses. Published by Office of the Adviser for Conservation of the Environment, Diwan of Royal Court, Sultanate of Oman; ISBN 10: 0715708082 ISSN 13: 9780715708088. *POWO (2023). ""Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org