Jivanti vine (Leptadenia reticulata)

Leptadenia reticulata is the climbing milkweed most of India means by jivanti, a name it shares with ada kodien in Kerala. It is a plant of dry hedges and scrub in Gujarat, Rajasthan and the Deccan. Heavy collection for the herbal trade has thinned it in the wild, which matters more today than any claim made on a label.

Botanical name: Leptadenia reticulata (Retz.) Wight & Arn.
Family: Apocynaceae
Tamil: Paalai kodi
Hindi: Jivanti
Parts used: None as food
Habit: Milkweed climber; jivanti is a shop word
Last updated: 2026-10-25

How to recognise Jivanti vine

It is a woody twiner with milky latex. Older stems develop a pale, deeply fissured, corky bark, which is one of the easiest field marks.

The leaves are opposite, oval to heart-shaped, and leathery, with a fine net of veins visible on the underside. The species name reticulata means “netted”.

Small greenish-yellow flowers come in umbrella-like clusters from the leaf joints. They ripen into paired, tapering pods that split to release seeds with silky tufts.

Ada kodien, Cynanchum annularium, has larger, smoother leaves and fleshy purplish-pink flowers. Gymnema sylvestre, gudmar, is a related climber with smaller leaves and yellow star flowers.

Traditional use of Jivanti vine

Ayurveda

Jivanti appears in classical lists of rejuvenating plants and in formulas for strength and convalescence. Which plant the classical texts meant is still argued over, and Leptadenia is the most common modern identification outside Kerala.

Ayurvedic materia medica

Animal husbandry

In western India the vine has long been fed to cattle and buffalo, and commercial preparations based on it are sold as aids to milk yield.

Gujarat and Rajasthan dairy practice

Modern notes on Jivanti vine

Pharmacological work centres on its stigmasterol and other plant sterols, and on animal studies of lactation. Good human trials are lacking, so marketing claims run well ahead of the evidence.

Several studies have flagged adulteration and substitution in raw-drug markets, where other milkweed roots and stems are sold under the jivanti name.

Jivanti vine safety

Do not swallow the latex. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to a clinician before taking any product sold for milk supply.

Ecology and sourcing

Because whole stems and roots are harvested, collection from the wild has reduced populations in parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan, and it appears on regional lists of threatened medicinal plants.

Cultivation trials in Gujarat have shown that it can be grown as a crop. Cultivated material is the responsible source for anyone who uses it.

Related plants

Also in Apocynaceae

Questions about Jivanti vine

Is Jivanti vine the only jivanti?

No. Kerala practice uses Cynanchum annularium (ada kodien) under the same name.

What older names does Leptadenia reticulata go by?

Cynanchum reticulatum, the name Retzius first gave it.

Is the latex of Jivanti vine safe?

No. Do not drink milkweed latex.

Sources

Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.