Condurango bush

Marsdenia condurango, also known as the condurango shrub, is a species of liana native to South America and belongs to the genus Marsdenia, which includes over 250 species in total and is mainly native to tropical South America (Peru, Ecuador). It is also cultivated in East Africa.

The sturdy shrub has hairy shoots with equally hairy leaves. The flowers of the condurango shrub are small and greenish-white in color. They have a bell-shaped corolla and umbel-shaped inflorescences. The seeds of the plant are found in the bell fruits. The drug of the shrub used in medicines consists of the up to 5 mm thick, tubular pieces of bark, which are covered with a gray layer on the outside. The condurango shrub exudes a pleasant, slightly sweet smell due to the vanillin it contains. The taste of condurango is scratchy and slightly bitter.

Marsdenia condurango is the parent plant of Condurango cortex