Holboellia latifolia
Wallich, Tent. Fl. Nep. 24, t. 16. 1824; Hook. f. & Thomson in
Fl. Brit. India 1: 108. 1872.
Jain.: Soh-tymbro; Kh.: Mi-rang-ksa, Soh-lygn-kait; Nep.: Gulfa.
Climbing shrubs, 3 - 5 m high; stems up to 12 cm thick at base, with corky bark; branches and twigs glabrous, often twining at apical portion. Leaves alternate, digitately 3 - 9-foliolate; petioles 4 - 8 cm long; petiolules 0.5 - 4 cm long; leaflets variable in size and shape, oblong-ovate, elliptic-ovate or narrow-lanceolate, rounded or cuneate at base, acute to slightly acuminate at apex, entire, 4 - 13 x 1 - 5 cm, glabrous, somewhat shiny above, pale beneath, usually 3-nerved at base. Racemes 3 - 12 cm long, 3 - 7-flowered, in axillary fascicles; peduncles shorter than petioles, as long as the petiolules; pedicels filiform, 4 - 12 mm long, purplish. Flowers 1 - 2 cm across, green or purplish green, sweet-scented. Sepals 6 in 2 series, the outer 3 valvate, the inner 3 imbricate, oblong or oblong-elliptic, 10 - 15 x 2 - 5 mm, green or purplish. Petals 6, orbicular, nectariform, minute. Male flowers: Stamens 6, free; filaments 2 - 4 mm long, dark brownish red; anthers 3 - 5 mm long, apiculate; pistillodes linear, ca 1.5 mm long. Female flowers: Staminodes minute; carpels free, linear-ellipsoid or oblong, 2- 3 mm long; stigma sessile, simple, entire. Fruit usually of one carpel, pear-shaped, ellipsoid or oblong-ovate, 5 - 10 x 2 - 6 cm, red. Seeds orbicular, obovoid, compressed or slightly curved, embedded in yellow pulp, 6 - 10 x 3 - 4 cm, blackish, glossy.
Climbing shrubs, 3 - 5 m high; stems up to 12 cm thick at base, with corky bark; branches and twigs glabrous, often twining at apical portion. Leaves alternate, digitately 3 - 9-foliolate; petioles 4 - 8 cm long; petiolules 0.5 - 4 cm long; leaflets variable in size and shape, oblong-ovate, elliptic-ovate or narrow-lanceolate, rounded or cuneate at base, acute to slightly acuminate at apex, entire, 4 - 13 x 1 - 5 cm, glabrous, somewhat shiny above, pale beneath, usually 3-nerved at base. Racemes 3 - 12 cm long, 3 - 7-flowered, in axillary fascicles; peduncles shorter than petioles, as long as the petiolules; pedicels filiform, 4 - 12 mm long, purplish. Flowers 1 - 2 cm across, green or purplish green, sweet-scented. Sepals 6 in 2 series, the outer 3 valvate, the inner 3 imbricate, oblong or oblong-elliptic, 10 - 15 x 2 - 5 mm, green or purplish. Petals 6, orbicular, nectariform, minute. Male flowers: Stamens 6, free; filaments 2 - 4 mm long, dark brownish red; anthers 3 - 5 mm long, apiculate; pistillodes linear, ca 1.5 mm long. Female flowers: Staminodes minute; carpels free, linear-ellipsoid or oblong, 2- 3 mm long; stigma sessile, simple, entire. Fruit usually of one carpel, pear-shaped, ellipsoid or oblong-ovate, 5 - 10 x 2 - 6 cm, red. Seeds orbicular, obovoid, compressed or slightly curved, embedded in yellow pulp, 6 - 10 x 3 - 4 cm, blackish, glossy.
KEY TO THE VARIETIES
1a. Leaflets narrow-lanceolale | 2.1. angustifolia |
b. Leaflets oblong-ovate | 2.2. latifolia |