Madamfate plant originates from the West Indies and is a wild plant widely distributed in tropical regions. Traditionally, Kitolod has been used in traditional medicine for generations. Some areas in Indonesia, such as Riau, use this plant to treat eye diseases, including cataracts.

This plant grows wild along the edges of waterways or rivers, rice paddy bunds, around fences, and other moist, open places with a pH of 5.8–7. Kitolod can be found from the lowlands up to 1,100 m a.s.l..

• The root is a taproot.

• The stem is erect, reaching a height of up to 60 cm, branching from its base, and contains a white, acrid (sharp-tasting), and poisonous sap (latex).

• The leaves are single (simple), sessile (stalkless), lanceolate in shape, with a rough surface, a pointed tip, a narrowed base, and margins that are deeply lobed (melekuk ke dalam), toothed, or pinnately lobed. The leaves are 5–17 cm long, 2–3 cm wide, and green.

• The flowers are erect, solitary, emerge from the leaf axils, are long-stalked, and the corolla (petals) is white.

• The fruit is a capsule shaped like a bell, nodding, splitting into two compartments, and is many-seeded.

• Plant propagation can use seeds, suckers, or stem cuttings.

• Seeds are taken from mature and dry fruits, then rubbed to separate them from the seed sacs, and the seeds are then dried in the sun.

It is a remedy for cancer, used as eye drops (for near-sightedness, far-sightedness, glaucoma), toothache, tonsillitis, is anti-hyperglycemic (lowers blood sugar), an antioxidant, treats asthma symptoms and sore throat, and promotes wound healing.

Alkaloid compounds (lobeline, lobelamine, isotomine), saponins, flavonoids (spirohexan, acetaldehyde), polyphenols, terpenoids, steroids, tannins, hexanedioic acid, acetophenone, squalene, and silicic acid.