Tinospora
sinensis (Lour.) Merr.
Tinospora malabarica
(Lam.)
Hook. f. & Thoms.
MENISPERMACEAE
Vernacular names:
Kannada - Sudarsana balli
Malayalam - Pee-amerdu, Kattu amirthu
Sanskrit - Vatsadani, Sudarsana, Amrta
Telugu - Thippa theega
Threat
status:
Vulnerable
(A 1 c) - KA
Lower Risk
near threatened - KL
Not
Evaluated - TN
Habit:
Climber
Habitat:
Along
streams, rocky valleys and in disturbed forests from deciduous
to semi-evergreen
Altitude:
600 - 1000
m
Distribution:
Global:
India, Sri
Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Thailand, Vietnam and
Cambodia.
National:
Occurs in
Assam, Orissa, Bihar, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and
Kerala.
Regional:
Occasional
in semi-evergreen forests of Western Ghats in Karnataka. Fairly
common in moist forests of Kerala. Not reported from Tamil Nadu.
Description:
Deciduous,
climbing shrubs. Stem with prominent, scattered
lenticels. Bark papery, greyish white. Latex
watery. Tender branches with distinct white hairs.
Leaves alternate, broadly egg-shaped, 7-17 x 4-13 cm,
base heart-shaped, apex acuminate, margin entire, sparingly
pubescent in upper surface and densely pubescent in lower
surface, basal nerves 5-7; leaf stalk up to 10 cm long, hairy.
Flowers are formed in racemes from the axils of fallen leaves
and also on the old stem, greenish yellow, many, 5 mm across.
Male and female flowers are seen
separately in the same plant. Drupes 1-3 in a
cluster, sphericalshaped, about 1.5 cm across, turning
orange-red when ripe.
Phenology: Flowering:
December
to February; Fruiting: January to . May
Medicinal uses:
Stems are
used for treating piles, ulcerated wounds, liver complaints,
chronic rheumatism and also as muscle relaxant.
Trade
information:
Local,
regional and national. Stem pieces are traded as 'Giloy', along
with T. cordifolia, and priced at Rs. 10 to 15/kg.
(Market studies 1999-2000).
Mode of
propagation:
By stem
cuttings and seeds
Special
characters:
This plant
appears similar to Tinospora cordifolia in all aspects
but distinctly differs in having dense hairs covering all plant
parts. Stems have prominent white dot-like structures called
lenticels. Fruits are attractive orange-red.
