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Mucuna gigantea
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Family:
FABACEAE/LEGUMINOSAE (Subfam.: Papilionoideae)
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Citation: Mucuna gigantea (Willd.) DC., Prodr. 2: 405. 1825; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 2: 186. 1876; Gamble, Fl. Pres. Madras 355(251). 1918; N.C. Nair et al., Journ. Econ. Tax. Bot. 2: 224. 1981; Manilal & Sivar., Fl. Calicut 91. 1982; Sanjappa, Legumes Ind. 216. 1992; Anil Kumar et al., Fl. Pathanamthitta 186. 2005; Sunil & Sivadasan, Fl. Alappuzha Dist. 233. 2009; Ratheesh Narayanan, Fl. Stud. Wayanad Dist. 298. 2009.
Dolichos giganteus Willd., Sp. Pl. 3: 1041. 1800.
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Malayalam Name(s):
Kakavalli
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Tamil name(s):
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English name(s):
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Description:
Twining, climbing lianas; stems terete or slightly ridged, glabrescent at maturity. Leaves alternate; rachis about 1/3 the petiolar length; leaflets elliptic or broadly ovate, to about 11 x 6 cm, abruptly acute apically, rounded basally, the laterals inequilateral, the surfaces glabrous when mature, the primary lateral veins in 4-5 pairs; stipules minute, acute-acuminate, 3-4 mm long, persistent. Inflorescence condensed, paniculate, pendant, about 22 cm long, many-flowered, the rachis nodes crowded distally, each node about 3-flowered. Flowers 3(-5) cm long; pedicels about 2.5 cm long. Calyx appearing 5-lobed, the tube 6-7 mm long, sericeous tomentose, the upper lobes partially connate, blunt, obtuse-acute, 2-3 mm long, the lower slightly longer. Petals sulphur-yellow, greenish-yellow or pale green, the vexillum obovate to somewhat orbicular, 1.5-3.0 cm long, the wings narrow, nearly equalling the keels, the keels 3-4.5 cm long, rising into a sharp shining, tooth-like beak. Ovary stipitate, usually few-ovulate. Fruit indehiscent, oblong, stipitate, about 10-15 x 4.5 x 1.5 cm, the exocarp smooth, sutures with a broad parallel wing to each side; seeds broadly ovoid, compressed, dark, about 2 x 2 x 1.2 cm, the hilum linear, flat, about 4.5 cm long.
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Habit:
Climber
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Flowering & Fruiting:
December-March
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District(s):
Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kozhikkode, Wayanad
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Medicinal:
Yes
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Habitat:
Semi-evergreen forests, also in sacred groves in the plains
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Distribution:
Indo-Malesia, Australia to the Pacific Islands
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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):
Yellow, Green
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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:
Moozhiar, Mannarshala
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