It is native to China, India (the Himalayas), Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

It is very commonly used in Ayurveda (an Indian traditional medicine) and it is also cultivated mostly worldwide in frost-free places.

[2] The mature leaves are large,[2] deep green,[10] shiny,[5][11][12] and hirsute (hairy),[3] especially underneath.

[7][12][10] It has terminal (end of stem),[6] clusters of blooms,[11][7] appearing from spring to autumn,[5] from May to July,[11][4][7] or between April and October.

[7] Chonemorpha fragrans contains alkaloids including camptothecin (CPT), chonemorphine, and funtumafrine.

[16] Chonemorphine is a steroidal alkaloid which has been studied in Wistar rats for its possible use for intestinal infections.

[12][6][10] Due to its wide range it has various local names such as; 'Gardhedaro' in hindi,[7][12][8] 'Manjinaru',[3] or 'Chandra hoovina balli' in Kannada, 'Perunkurumpa',[3] 'Paal valli', or akar gerip merah in Malayalam,[7][14] 'Murva' or 'morala' in Sanskrit,[3] 'velutha kaaka kodi' in Tamil and 'Chaga' in Telugu.

[7][3] Also within parts of China (such as Guangxi, Yunnan and Tibet) and the Indian Subcontinent and Indochina, its name in Khmer is /vɔə crẹj cruəj/ វល្លិជ្រៃជ្រួយ or /vɔə ʔɑŋkɑt krəhɑːm/ វល្លិអង្កត់ក្រហម.

[19]), It is written as 大叶鹿角藤 in Chinese script and known as da ye lu jiao teng in Pidgin in China.

[20] The species was then renamed and it was then re-published by English botanist Arthur Hugh Garfit Alston (1902-1958) in Annals of the Royal Botanic Gardens (Ann.

[12] As the plant is semi-deciduous in subtropical areas, it can tolerate some colder temperatures (about 30 - 40°F,[11]) but will then be fully dormant during the winter months,[2][11] but it prefers a frost-free warm position.

[13] During the winter, is the preferred time to prune to restrict the climbing growth to a manageable size.

[8][12] It is used (roots,[citation needed] leaves, bark-stem,[12]) in Ayurveda (an Indian traditional medicine), to treat various things such as skin diseases,[15][6] leprosy,[6] scabies,[6] syphilis,[15][6] gynecological disorders,[15] inflammation, constipation, worm infestations (ascaris),[8] hyperacidity, diabetes, jaundice, coughs, bronchitis, stomach disorders,[15] intermittent fevers,[25] anaemia, typhoid, polyuria, boils, eye diseases, poisoning,[12] and bronchitis.

[25][6][26] The crushed roots of the plant, which are sweet and bitter,[6] are used to make a decoction drink to help remove a retained placenta,[25] or to treat amebic dysentery.

[12] As the plant has diverse biological activities including muscle relaxant and antiparasitic properties.

[15] The plant is sometimes cultivated for the fibre that is obtained from its stem,[4] which is used to make fishing nets,[27] especially in East Java.