Common name: Goat foot vine. Tamil Nadu: Atampu
This plant is a creeping prostrate evergreen vine and is commonly seen in coastal sea coast areas along sand bund. The flexible stem of this plant root freely at nodes and this helps the plant to freely branch in sandy areas. It forms extensive mats in beach sandy areas often extending to over 100 feet. The leaves are simple and arranged alternatively. They are light green in color and are bi-lobed. The flower is funnel shaped and about 3 inches long. The petals are pink in color and open in the morning. The fruit is in the form of a four seeded capsule. They contain hairy black seeds. These seeds can float and are often carried and disbursed by ocean currents. The plant plays an important role in preventing soil erosion in coastal sea coast areas.
