Taxon: Combretum indicum (L.) DeFilipps

Summary

Genus:

Combretum

Family:

Combretaceae

Subfamily:

Combretoideae

Tribe:

Combreteae

Subtribe:

Combretinae

Nomen number:

412158

Place of publication:

Useful plants of the Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies 277. 1998

Verified:

02/08/2011 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

5 (1 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Basionym
Quisqualis indica L.

No images

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. 2005. Vines and climbing plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 51:155. Note: lists as Combretum indicum (L.) Jongk.
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1961-. Flore du Gabon. Note: lists as Combretum indicum (L.) Jongk.
Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana. Note: lists as Combretum indicum (L.) Jongk.

Common names

Language	Name	note	seq	Citation
English	quisqualis	as Quisqualis indica	1	McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland. Note: as Quisqualis indica
English	Rangoon-creeper	as Quisqualis indica	1	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: as Quisqualis indica
German	indischer Sonderling	as Quisqualis indica	2	Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen Note: as Quisqualis indica
Portuguese	arbusto-milagroso	as Quisqualis indica	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: as Quisqualis indica
Spanish	quiscual	as Quisqualis indica	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: as Quisqualis indica
Spanish	Santa Cecilia		2	Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana. Note: lists as Combretum indicum (L.) Jongk.
Swedish	druckne sjömannen		2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Transcribed Chinese	shi jun zi	as Quisqualis indica	2	McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland. Note: as Quisqualis indica

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Tanzania			Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Angola			Carrisso, L. W. et al., eds. 1937-. Conspectus florae angolensis.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Benin			Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Côte D'Ivoire			Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Ghana			Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Mali			Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Nigeria			Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Sierra Leone			Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Togo			Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Democratic Republic of the Congo			Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Fujian Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Guangdong Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Guizhou Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Hainan Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Hunan Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Jiangxi Sheng	s.	Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Sichuan Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Yunnan Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Taiwan			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Bangladesh			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India			Gangopadhyay, M. & T. Chakrabarty. 1997. The family Combretaceae of Indian Subcontinent. J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 21:331.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Nepal			Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Sri Lanka			Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Cambodia			Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1960-. Flore du Cambodge du Laos et du Viet-Nam.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Laos			Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1960-. Flore du Cambodge du Laos et du Viet-Nam.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Myanmar			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Thailand			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Vietnam			Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1960-. Flore du Cambodge du Laos et du Viet-Nam.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Malaysia			Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Philippines			Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Singapore			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Papuasia	Papua New Guinea			Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
2	Cultivated					widely cult. in tropics	Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana. Note: lists as Combretum indicum (L.) Jongk.
4	Naturalized	Pacific	North-Central Pacific	United States	Hawaii		Frohlich, D. & A. Lau. 2014. New plant records for the Hawaiian Islands 2012–2013. Bishop Mus. Occas. Pap. 115:9.

Native
Africa

EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Tanzania
WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Democratic Republic of the Congo
WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Benin, Côte D'Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo
SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Angola

Asia-Temperate

CHINA: China [Fujian Sheng, Guangdong Sheng, Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu, Guizhou Sheng, Hainan Sheng, Hunan Sheng, Jiangxi Sheng (s.), Sichuan Sheng, Yunnan Sheng]
EASTERN ASIA: Taiwan

Asia-Tropical

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal
PAPUASIA: Papua New Guinea
INDO-CHINA: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam
MALESIA: Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore

Cultivated (widely cult. in tropics)
Naturalized
Pacific

NORTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: United States [Hawaii]

Reference(s)

Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1960-. Flore du Cambodge du Laos et du Viet-Nam.
Carrisso, L. W. et al., eds. 1937-. Conspectus florae angolensis.
Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana. Note: lists as Combretum indicum (L.) Jongk.
Frohlich, D. & A. Lau. 2014. New plant records for the Hawaiian Islands 2012–2013. Bishop Mus. Occas. Pap. 115:9.
Gangopadhyay, M. & T. Chakrabarty. 1997. The family Combretaceae of Indian Subcontinent. J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 21:331.
Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Environmental	ornamental	as Quisqualis indica	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada Note: as Quisqualis indica
Environmental	ornamental	as Quisqualis indica	Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening Note: as Quisqualis indica
Medicines	source of pharmaceutical agent	quisqualic acid; as Quisqualis indica	Padua, L. S. de et al., eds. 1999. Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 12(1):423. Note: as Quisqualis indica
Medicines	source of pharmaceutical agent	quisqualic acid; as Quisqualis indica	McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland. Note: as Quisqualis indica
Medicines	source of pharmaceutical agent	quisqualic acid; as Quisqualis indica	Farnsworth, N. R. & D. D. Soejarto. 1988. Global importance of medicinal plants (unpublished draft manuscript rev. 23) Note: as Quisqualis indica

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=412158. Accessed 12 May 2026.