This dioecious species is a native of SE Asia, where it is found in the understory and edge of tropical forests. The roots are harvested ...Read Morefor use in ethnobotanical medicine, where they are attributed with several potential benefits, including a general health tonic and aphrodisiac. In more recent years, it has been exploited for inclusion in commercial products, such as energy drinks. Unfortunately, this has resulted in an untenable situation of overharvesting that has led Malaysia to ban the export of raw plant material.
Fresh seeds exhibited reasonably good rates of germination within 30 days when soaked for 24hr and sewn in warm, moist sand. This is a purely tropical species and is frost tender, although there have been efforts to selectively breed more cold tolerant individuals for cultivation in more temperate regions.
This dioecious species is a native of SE Asia, where it is found in the understory and edge of tropical forests. The roots are harvested ...Read More