Operculina turpethum aka Transparent Wood Rose

Operculina turpethum is a vine that lives for years. It belongs to the Convolvulaceae family. Its names include Indian jalap, turpeth root, and turpethum. Its native range runs from Somalia into southern tropical Africa. It spans islands in the western Indian Ocean. It also covers tropical and subtropical parts of Asia. It reaches the Pacific, where it includes Micronesia. Kew places it in a tropical zone with dry seasons. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

The plant has a long, fleshy rootstock with many branches. This base lives on and grows new stems each year. The stems climb about 6.6–13.1 feet [2–4 metres]. Useful Tropical Plants gives a height of 9.8 feet [3 metres]. Stem length is not quite the same as upright height. The stems feel soft and taste sweet. The text gives no details of leaf shape or flowers.

Wild plants grow in open woods, including teak forests. They grow in hedges, dense scrub, and along roads. They also grow on disturbed ground and among sugar cane crops. These sites have moderate or strong monsoons, or seasonal rains. Records range from sea level to about 4,265 feet [1,300 metres]. Gardeners in India and Sri Lanka grow it for its looks. The sources give no tested advice on garden care. They do not state how much cold it can bear. They give no bloom season or account of pests and diseases.

Food records list the stems, leaves, and unripe fruit. People chew or suck the soft stems for their sweet taste. They eat the fleshy young fruit raw. They also cook it like peas. The source lists leaves as food but gives no steps for their use. These records do not mean all plant parts are safe. The rhizome, an underground stem, can cause severe purging. Some material can be poisonous.

Indian jalap has a long history of use in Ayurvedic medicine. People gather large amounts from wild plants for use and trade. Several drug reference books, called pharmacopoeias, list its rhizome. These include books in India and South America. Its bark holds turpethin, a resin that acts as a laxative. People also use the stems to tie things. In trials, leaf extracts helped other plants resist several viruses. Those results do not show that this vine itself resists disease.