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Zanthoxylum asiaticum
Also called Cockspur Orange, Walking Stick Climber, Orange Climber
Zanthoxylum asiaticum (formerly Toddalia asiatica) is a thorny, woody climbing liana from the citrus family, native to Africa and Asia, that scrambles over trees and shrubs. It is grown mainly for its citrus-scented leaves and small orange fruits, and is best grown in a warm climate with a sturdy support to climb.
Zanthoxylum asiaticum is a species of plant in the family Rutaceae. Under its synonym Toddalia asiatica, it was the only species in the monotypic genus Toddalia, now included in Zanthoxylum. It is known by the English name orange climber.
It is native to many countries in Africa and Asia. Examples include South Africa where in Afrikaans it is called ranklemoentjie, and in Venda, gwambadzi. It is very popular among the Kikuyus of Central Kenya, where it is known as mururue, Mauritius, where it is known as patte poule or properly mũrũrũe.
The plant is used medicinally by many African peoples, including the Maasai, who use it for malaria, cough, and influenza. The roots contain coumarins that have antiplasmodial activity. Extracts of the plant have demonstrated antiviral activity against H1N1 influenza in the laboratory. The harvest of this slow-growing plant from the wild for medicinal use may cause its populations to decline.
Zanthoxylum acanthopodium · Alianthus Like Prickly Ash · Common pricklyash · Winged Prickly Ash · Sichuan Pepper · Hercules' club · Zanthoxylum coco · African Satinwood · Zanthoxylum laetum · Chopi · Cape Yellowwood · Mastic Leaf Prickly Ash
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Zanthoxylum asiaticum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
