Khir-Khimp / Moon Creeper
Sarcostemma viminale
Also known as Moon Plant
- Habit
- Climbing shrub
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana & more
- Flowering
- August-May
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Sarcostemma viminale
- Genus
- Sarcostemma
- Family
- Asclepiadaceae
- Habit
- Climbing shrub
- Distribution
- India, Nepal, Myanmar, Pakistan, Africa
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Sikkim, West Bengal, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Puducherry, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Goa, Mizoram
- Flowering & fruiting
- August-May
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- Absent (leafless)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Opposite
Characters marked “recorded” are for Khir-Khimp itself; the rest are typical of the Asclepiadaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Whiterecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Follicle
Characters marked “recorded” are for Khir-Khimp itself; the rest are typical of the Asclepiadaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- Khir-khimp
- Kannada
- ಸೋಮ Soma, ಕೋಡಂಬಳ್ಳಿ Kodamballi
- Marathi
- सोमलता Somlata
About Khir-Khimp
Moon creeper (Sarcostemma viminale) belongs to the Asclepiadaceae family, where it grows as a climbing shrub. In India it has been recorded in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and 20 other states. Flowering and fruiting run from August to May.
Uses
Locally it is grown for parts that are eaten, long used in traditional medicine and harvested for fodder. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice. Parts of this plant are reported as poisonous — treat it as unsafe to eat and wash your hands after handling.
In culture
It is treated as sacred and appears in worship.
Asclepiadaceae
Milkweed Family
Khir-Khimp belongs to the Asclepiadaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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