Compilation
Asclepias lineolata

An erect simple-stemmed perennial, recorded from Senegal, Ghana, N Nigeria and W Cameroon in savanna lands, and occurring widely in the savanna of tropical Africa.The plant (part unstated) is used in Sudan to treat dog-bite (4). Sap which oozes from the wood when heated is used in Zambia on the skin to relieve itch (9, 10).The roots are thick and spindle-shaped with a white flesh and a milky resinous sap. In Nigeria a root-decoction is taken with local soda for gastrointestinal troubles, and a weak cold infusion is given to new-born babies (5). In E Africa they are used as a stomachic (8), an effect attributable probably to the resin (1). In Uganda the swollen roots are eaten for sore-throat (7). In Tanganyika the dry, powdered tuber is drunk with local beer as an aphrodisiac, and a root-macerate is similarly used (2). In Zambia the root is used to catch birds by virtue of an alleged narcotic effect (9, 10). Glycoside is reported in the roots (5). Inulin and starch are also present, and the Kyama of Lower Ivory Coast are said to eat the roots like tapioca, pounded and boiled, or even uncooked (1, 3, 6).Juice extracted from the seeds is mixed with red peppers (Capsicum, Solenaceae) in Tanganyika for application to the breasts to encourage milk-flow (8).