Mansoa alliacea

# 03 Garlic vine 

Kingdom: Plantae

Clade: Tracheophytes

Clade: Angiosperms

Clade: Eudicots

Clade: Asterids

Order: Lamiales

Family: Bignoniaceae

Genus: Mansoa

Species: M. alliacea

Scientific name: Mansoa alliacea

Common names: Garlic vine, Ajo Sacha, Wild garlic vine

Habit:

Mansoa alliacea is a vigorous, woody vine that can grow up to 15 meters in length. It climbs with the help of tendrils that emerge from the nodes of the stem. It can be grown as a vine or trained as a shrub or small tree.

Root:

The root system of Mansoa alliacea is relatively shallow and spreading. It prefers well-drained soils with plenty of organic matter.

Stem:

The stem of Mansoa alliacea is woody, slightly twisted, and covered with a rough, gray-brown bark. It can grow up to 15 centimeters in diameter, and often has many nodes along its length where the tendrils emerge. The stem contains a strong garlic-like odor.

Leaf:

The leaves of Mansoa alliacea are compound, composed of several oval-shaped leaflets that grow up to 15 centimeters long. The leaves are arranged alternately along the stem and are shiny, dark green on the upper surface, and paler on the underside.

The Infloresence Mansoa alliacea is as follows:

Pedicellate flower with bilateral symmetry

Calyx: Sepals 5, fused, forming a tube, regular, lobed, persistent

Corolla: Petals 5, fused, forming a tube, regular, lobed, pink to lilac in color, with yellow throat, fragrant

Androecium: Stamens 5, epipetalous, alternating with corolla lobes, with filamentous and yellow anthers

Gynoecium: Superior ovary, unilocular with several ovules on a central placenta, style present, stigma bilobed.

Fruit: Capsule, elongated, woody, dehiscent, containing numerous flattened seeds with papery wings.

Floral Formula: K (5) C(5) A2+4G1

Mansoa alliacea produces attractive flowers with a fragrant scent, arranged in terminal panicles. The flowers are pedicellate with bilateral symmetry and have a fused, regular calyx tube with five lobes. The corolla is also fused, forming a tube with five lobes, and is pink to lilac in color with a yellow throat. The androecium consists of five stamens that are epipetalous and alternate with the corolla lobes, with filamentous and yellow anthers. The gynoecium is superior with an unilocular ovary containing several ovules on a central placenta, with a style and bilobed stigma. The fruit is a woody, elongated capsule that dehisces to release numerous flattened seeds with papery wings.

Caring: The garlic vine prefers a well-draining soil that is kept evenly moist. It can be propagated from seeds or stem cuttings. It requires a trellis or support to climb on and should be pruned regularly to control its growth.

Significance: The garlic vine is used in traditional medicine for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. The plant also has cultural significance in South American folklore, where it is believed to have protective properties and is used in spiritual cleansing rituals.

In terms of economic importance, Mansoa alliacea has not been extensively studied. However, it is possible that the plant may have potential as a source of natural products with pharmaceutical or agricultural applications.