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Cardiospermum halicacabum

Cardiospermum halicacabum

Botanic Family: Sapindaceae
Author: Linnaeus
Propagation: S.
Cultivated: C, ornamental
Hardiness Zone: Min7C

Common Names

Love-in-a-Puff
Heart Pea
Balloon Vine
Heart Seed
Winter Cherry
Ban Chichinda (Chepang)
Smooth-leaved Heart Pea
Kesh Lahara (Nepali)
Penela
Dao di ling (Pinyin)
Poniu (hawaiian)
Haleakai'a (Hawaiian)
'inalua (Hawaiian)
Pohuehue uka (Hawaiian)
Shibjhul (India)
Say Nam (Laos)
Waniu (Fiji)
Huayunac (Mayan)
Munditos (Mayan)
Black Liquorice
Kala-myetsi-galay (Myanmar)
Cocoa-nut Climber
Black Winter Cherry
Sipotalie (Irula)
Modakanthan Keerai (Tamil)
Farolito(s)
Globitos
Opio
Yeyomo

Geographical Habitats

Probably of American origin
now a Pantropical weed

Natural Habitats

Rough areas
thickets
forest edges
wasteland
shrubland
forest remnants
forest
woodland
hedgerows
riverside
coastal.

Flowering Times

All year (Australia)
Dec (India)

Fruiting Times

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul to Dec

Woody or herbaceous bifid-tendril climber to 5m with 5-6 ribbed stems glabrous or puberulent. Biternate toothed puberulent or sparsely pubescent leaves to 80mm x 80mm, terminal leaflets to 80mm x 25mm, tri-parted reddish hairy can become glabrate. Panicles or axillary umbellate cymes or thyrses with terminal tendrils of scented 8mm white flowers with yellow centre to 5mm long, petals to 3.5mm long, 4 sepals. Fruit an inflated pubescent capsule to 45mm x 43mm, light green to fawn.

Pantropical weed

Tender leaves & shoots eaten as vegetable. juice, root & seeds medicinal uses, sometimes used as vegetable, seeds used for bracelets, fodder, environmental uses, material, poison

Further References

Menninger 1970
Bailey 1976
Beckett 1990
Huxley 1992
Nicholls 1995
Manandhar 2002
FOC
FOH
RHS A-Z
Neotrop
FCP
Bodkin
FB
Fmoz
JPS
The Plant List 2
BF
CPC
FOG
VOPR
USNH
Botanicus
FV
FOTA
Flora Malesiana
GBS
FOSEUS
FOPE
HUBM
Morales
FSEG
Fnil