The caterpillars of several species of butterfly feed on this plant; these include the tawny coster, the clipper, the common cruiser and the Tamil lacewing.

The fruit is a capsule splitting into three valves with stiff rind and filled with seeds surrounded by fleshy white arils.

[2] The caterpillars of the tawny coster (Acraea terpsicore), the Tamil lacewing (Cethosia nietneri), the common cruiser (Vindula erota) and the clipper (Parthenos sylvia) feed on this plant.

The tubers, which are poisonous, have antibacterial and antimicrobial properties and are used in Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of skin disorders and to treat hernias.

The seeds are used to combat the effects of poison, and the tubers are used to make a drug known as "vidari" or "vidaari", although this pharmaceutical is also made from other plants, Ipomoea mauritiana, Pueraria tuberosa and Cycas circinalis.