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Abrus pulchellus
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Family:
FABACEAE/LEGUMINOSAE (Subfam.: Papilionoideae)
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Citation: Abrus pulchellus Wall. ex Thw., Enum. Pl. Zeyl. 91. 1859; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 2: 175. 1876; Gamble, Fl. Pres. Madras 350(247). 1918; Manilal & Sivar., Fl. Calicut 83. 1982; Mohanan, Fl. Quilon Dist. 136. 1984; Ansari, Fl. Kasaragod Div. 116. 1985; Ramach. & V.J. Nair, Fl. Cannanore Dist. 124. 1988; Babu, Fl. Malappuram Dist. 156. 1990; Sanjappa, Legumes Ind. 74. 1992; Subram., Fl. Thenmala Div. 90. 1995; Sasidh. & Sivar., Fl. Pl. Thrissur For. 129. 1996; Sasidh., Fl. Shenduruny WLS 87. 1997; Sivar. & Mathew, Fl. Nilambur 174. 1997; Sasidh., Fl. Periyar Tiger Reserve 87. 1998; Sasidh., Fl. Parambikulam WLS 83. 2002; Anil Kumar et al., Fl. Pathanamthitta 155. 2005; Ratheesh Narayanan, Fl. Stud. Wayanad Dist. 263. 2009.
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Malayalam Name(s):
Valiya kattumuthira
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Tamil name(s):
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English name(s):
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Description:
Twining herbs, glabrous. Leaves paripinnate, leaflets opposite, to 11 pairs, to 3 x 1 cm, oblong, obtuse, chartaceous, terminal leaflets larger; stipule lanceolate, deflexed. Flowers crowded in short tubercles, on long axillary racemes. Calyx cupular, truncate. Petals to 1 cm long, mauve; standard obovate; wings falcate, clawed; keel oblong. Stamens monadelphous. Ovary densely hairy. Pods 7 x 1 cm, oblong, slightly curved, compressed, glabrous; seeds many, 6 x 4 mm, dark red.
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Habit:
Climber
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Flowering & Fruiting:
October-March
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District(s):
Wayanad, Palakkad, Kasaragode, Kollam, Idukki, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Kannur, Kozhikkode, Thrissur
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Medicinal:
Yes
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Habitat:
Semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests, also in the plains
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Distribution:
Indo-Malesia and China
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Aquatic:
No
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Epiphyte(s):
No
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Saprophyte:
No
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Stem parasite:
No
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Root parasite:
No
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Flower colour(s):
Pink
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Weed:
No
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Monocot/Dicot:
Dicotyledonous Plants
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Exotic:
No
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Garden:
No
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Edible:
No
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Vegetable:
No
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Endemic to:
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IUCN status:
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Altitude:
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Localities:
Vellanimala, Kattalappara, Koruthode, Kariamchola, Neyyar, Edamalayar, Adoor, Moozhiar, Kannoth, Muzhapplangad, Sreekantapuram, Kallar, Vaniampuzha, Thenmalai, Ettapadappu
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