GARLIC VINE

I had been looking for the name of this plant for over a year and finally, one of the visitors to my other blog, Xing Fu, wrote in to tell me. It is called garlic vine because the leaves gives off a garlicky smell when crushed. The lovely purplish flowers of this vine blooms every few months and when in bloom the flowers last for about a week or so. My mum plants it in her garden but she has only a small plant whereas the neighbour who lives in the corner lot has planted the vine round the perimeter of her fence. I took the pictures when they were in full bloom last Saturday.

Here is some information about this plant:

Garlic Vine

Scientific name: Mansoa alliacea

Medicinal properties

Besides the crushed leaves emitting a garlicky scent, the flowers are also said to give off a faint garlic odour and that is why the plant is sometimes used as a garlic substitute in the kitchen. The root, stems and leaves are used as traditional medicinal to reduce fevers, treat colds, throat and respiratory problems.

Reference: http://zipcodezoo.com