Murva (Bowstring Hemp)

Murva is a twining woody climber of the Apocynaceae family that grows in the sub-Himalayan tracts and hilly forests of India. It has broad, softly hairy leaves and small greenish-yellow flowers, and its stems yield a strong fibre that was once used to make bowstrings.

The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India names it as the official source of Murva, a herb described in classical texts as bitter and cooling. Its root is used in traditional preparations for general wellbeing. Several other plants are sold under the same name in different regions.