| |
Capparis cleghornii
|
| |
|
| |
Family:
CAPPARACEAE
|
| |
Citation: Capparis cleghornii Dunn ex Gamble, Fl. Pres. Madras 46(33). 1915; Ramach. & V.J. Nair, Fl. Cannanore Dist. 46. 1988; Vajr., Fl. Palghat Dist. 55. 1990; Sundararagh. in B.D. Sharma & N.P. Balakr., Fl. India 2: 263. 1993; Pradeep, Fl. Vellarimala 19. 2000; R. Sundara. & N.P. Balakr. in P. Daniel, Fl. Kerala 1: 226. 2005; Ratheesh Narayanan, Fl. Stud. Wayanad Dist. 114. 2009.
|
| |
Malayalam Name(s):
|
| |
Tamil name(s):
|
| |
English name(s):
|
| |
Description:
Scandent shrubs, ca 2 m high; twigs purplish, flagellate, fulvous-pubescent, densely armed with sharp recurved thorns. Leaves alternate, elliptic or obovate, acute at base, abruptly blunt-acuminate at apex, 3.5-10 x 2-5 cm, subcoriaceous, pinkish when tender, dull greenish when dry; lateral nerves 4-6 pairs with obscure reticulations; petioles 6-10 mm long. Flowers showy, white, purple on ageing, to 5 x 3.5 -4.5 cm, in terminal 6-10 flowered corymbs, rarely solitary, axillary or conferted in subterminal shoots; pedicels 2.5-4 cm long, pubescent; buds tomentose. Sepals subequal, concave, 10-12 x 7-8 cm, pubescent outside, glabrous inside. Petals obovate or oblong, unequal; upper pair 2.2-2.5 x 1-1.2 cm; lower pair 1.6-1.8 x 1.2-1.4 cm, puberulous at base. Receptacle 2.5-3 mm across. Stamens 65-80, white turning pink or scarlet; filaments 2.5-2.8 cm long. Gynophore 2.5-3.5 cm long, glabrous. Ovary ovoid, 3-3.5 x ca 2 mm, glabrous, purple. Fruits on slender stalks, ovoid or subglobose, umbonate, 6-8.5 cm long, dark purplish to violet; seeds 1-4, obovoid or orbicular, dorsally compressed, 1.5-1.8 x 1.4-1.5 cm, embedded in scarlet pulp.
|
| |
Habit:
Climber
|
| |
Flowering & Fruiting:
February-October
|
| |
District(s):
Kozhikkode, Palakkad, Kannur, Wayanad
|
| |
Medicinal:
|
| |
Habitat:
Along the margins of semi-evergreen forests
|
| |
Distribution:
South India
|
| |
Aquatic:
No
|
| |
Epiphyte(s):
No
|
| |
Saprophyte:
No
|
| |
Stem parasite:
No
|
| |
Root parasite:
No
|
| |
Flower colour(s):
Rose, Pink
|
| |
Weed:
No
|
| |
Monocot/Dicot:
Dicotyledonous Plants
|
| |
Exotic:
No
|
| |
Garden:
No
|
| |
Edible:
No
|
| |
Vegetable:
No
|
| |
Endemic to:
South India
|
| |
IUCN status:
|
| |
Altitude:
500-900
|
| |
Localities:
Chandanathode, Mukkali forests, Muthappanpuzha
|