Botanical name: Pueraria tuberosa    Family: Fabaceae (Pea family)
Synonyms: Hedysarum tuberosum

Indian kudzu is a large perennial climber with very large tuberous roots, distributed nearly throughout India, except in very humid or very arid regions, and ascending up to l,200 m. Woody stems grow up to 12 cm in diameter. Leaves are divided into 3 leaflets. The leaflets are egg-shaped, with round base and unequal sides. They are 18 cm long and 16 cm wide and are hairless above. Flowers blue or purplish blue, in 15-30 cm long racemes. Pods are flat and 5-7 cm long, densely clothed with long, silky, bristly brown hairs; seeds 3-6. Indian Kudzu is found in the Himalayas, from Kashmir to Nepal, at altitudes of 300-1500 m. It is also found in Western Ghats and some other parts of India. Flowering: March-April.
Medicinal uses: In Ayurveda, this herb is used as a general tonic, for headaches, and as a aphrodisiac. The roots are said to be used in medicine as a demulcent and refrigent in fevers, as cataplasm for swelling of joints, and as lactagogue. It is also emetic, galactogogue and tonic. Now a days it is used in preparing sexual potency enhancement pills.

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The flower labeled Indian Kudzu is ...