Sauropus saksenanus Manilal, Prasann. & Sivar. in J. Indian Bot. Soc. 64: 294. 1985; Chakrab. & M.Gangop. in J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 20: 531, f. 8. 1996. S. androgynus auct. non (L.) Merr. 1903: Gamble, Fl. Madras 7: 1303. 1925 (repr. ed. 2: 911. 1957), p. p.

Shrubs, 2 - 3 m high, entirely glabrous; branches terete; leaf-bearing branchlets 15 - 45 cm long, 2-winged. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, acute to obtuse or truncate at base, caudate-acuminate at apex, 4 - 12 x 2 - 5 cm, thinly chartaceous to thinly coriaceous, often glaucous beneath; lateral nerves 4 - 7 pairs; petioles 2 - 3 mm long; stipules triangular-lanceolate to linear, 2 - 6 mm long. Male flowers: pedicels 4 - 8 mm long; calyx cupular to obconic in outline, 2 - 3.5 x 2 - 4 mm, deeply 6-lobed; segments oblong-oblanceolate or flabellate-oblanceolate, emarginate to bilobulate at apex, 1.5 - 2.5 x 0.5 - 1.3 mm; staminal column ca 0.5 mm long; anthers erect, ca 0.6 mm long. Female flowers: pedicels 5 - 12 mm long; calyx-segments orbicular to flabellate, rounded to obtuse at apex, 1.5 - 3 x 1.5 - 3 mm, thin; ovary subglobose, 1 - 1.5 mm in diam.; styles ca 1 mm long, erect, bifid to midway. Fruits globose to pyriform, 15 - 20 x 18 - 25 mm, rounded or slightly intruded at apex; pedicels 10 - 12 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. March - Dec.

Distrib. India: Evergreen forests, between 775 - 1900 m altitudes. Very common in the Palakkad district of Kerala, scarce elsewhere. Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Endemic.