General Information

Cryptolepis sanguinolenta is a climbing shrub producing thin stems up to 8 metres long that scramble over the ground and twine into other plants for support. The stems contain a yellow-orange juice that becomes red upon drying.

The roots are collected from the wild for local use as a dye and medicine. They are sold in local markets for medicinal purposes and for dye extraction. Some proprietary antimalarial medicines have been developed from compounds in the root of this plant, including ‘Phytolaria’ in Ghana and ‘Malarial’ in Mali and Togo and Benin. The raw powdered plant and the freeze-dried aqueous extract have also been formulated into tablets and suppositories.