Awar-awar is widespread in Japan (Ryukyu Islands), Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, northern Australia (Queensland), the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. This plant has value as a traditional medicinal ingredient believed to cure various ailments. Almost all parts of this plant can be used in traditional medicine, but excessive consumption can cause side effects and even death. Furthermore, awar-awar is often used as a water conservation plant, and its wood can be used to make keris sheaths. Keris sheaths made from awar-awar wood are quite beautiful because they produce a pattern called nginden.

Awar-awar is commonly found growing in secondary rainforests, scrubland, and open forests at elevations up to 1,800 meters above sea level. This species often grows along riverbanks and can thrive in a variety of soil types.

• The stem is crooked, soft, the branches are cylindrical, hollow, glabrous, and yellowish white gummy. The surface of the stem is pale brown to yellowish brown.

• Single leaves, stalked, alternate or opposite. The leaves are ovate or elliptical, with a cordate base (shaped like a heart) to a pointed one, the tip of the leaf is pointed, the leaf edge is flat, the upper surface is shiny dark green, with many pale spots, the lower surface is light green, glabrous (hairless). It has reddish supporting leaves (stipules).

• Compound flowers are arranged in pairs, with short stalks, at the base there are 3 light green or gray green protective leaves.

• Fruit is a pitcher type, fleshy, the ripe fruit is whitish with yellowish spots, rough and knobby texture.

• Seeds are numerous and small.

• Propagation is generative (seeds) and vegetative (cuttings).

Treats skin diseases, appendicitis, boils, venomous snake bites, asthma, as an antidote for fish poison, vomiting, swelling, headaches, colds, coughs, fever, dysentery or diarrhea, urinary tract infections, dengue fever, cancer prevention, wound healing, food poisoning, and trichomoniasis. It has antirheumatic, antioxidant, and diuretic properties.

Roots: sterols and polyphenols. Stem: phenantroindolisidin (ficuseptin B, ficuseptin C, ficuseptin D, 10R,13aR-tylophorin N-oxide, 10R,13aR-tylocrebrin N-oxide, 10S,13aR-tylocrebrin N-oxide, 10S,13aR-isotylocrebrin N-oxide, and 10S,13aS-isotylocrebrin N-oxide). Leaves: flavonoid compounds genistin and kaempferitrin, coumarin, phenolic compounds, pyrimidines, antophin alkaloids, 10S,13aR-antophin N-oxide, dehydrotylophorin, ficuseptin A, tylophorin, 2-Demetoksitylophorin, 14α-hydroxyisotylopcrebin N-oxide, triterpenoid saponins, sterols, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, isotylocrebin alkaloids, and tylocrebin.