Luvunga scandens
(Roxb.) Wight, Ill. Ind. Bot. 1: 108. 1840; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 509. 1875; Stone in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 137: 221. 1985. Limonia scandens Roxb.(Hort. Bengal. 32. 1814, nom. nud.) Fl. Ind. 2: 380. 1832.
Beng.: Luvunga lata, Luvungphul; Sans.: Kakoil.
Liana with strong, flexuous branches armed with axillary, slightly recurved spines often from a conical base; bark smooth when young, rather rough on ageing, greyish. Petioles 3 - 6.5 cm long, horizontally grooved above, glabrous; leaflet blades variable, oblong-elliptic or oblanceolate, cuneate at base, acute or shortly acuminate at apex, entire along margins, 6.5 - 18 x 2.5 - 4 cm, thick, coriaceous, glabrous; secondary nerves obscure. Inflorescences paniculate-racemes, often 4 - 6-flowered; peduncles short, glabrescent. Calyx cupular, 3.5 - 5 mm long; lobes 4, truncate, minute, ciliolate along margins. Petals 4, oblong, obtuse, 12 -16 x 3 - 4 mm, glabrous, fleshy, white. Stamens 8 - 10; filaments linear-subulate, connate almost to tip; staminal tube ca 12 mm long, glabrous; anthers linear, apiculate, ca 5 mm long. Ovary long-ovoid, ca 2.5 x 1.5 mm, seated on a columnar fleshy glandular disk (ca 1 x 3 mm), glabrous, 3-locular; each locule with 1 or 2 superimposed ovules; style continuous with ovary, cylindric, up to 7 mm long, glandular, glabrous; stigma capitate, ca 2.5 mm broad, glandular. Berries oblong, up to 20 x 25 mm; pericarp smooth, densely glandular or pustular, 3 locular; each locule with a solitary seed embedded in a mucilaginous matrix, the latter devoid of pulp-vesicles; seeds ovoid, rather pointed at apex; outer integument of testa membranous, greenish.
Fl. March - April; Fr. Ripens in Sept.
Distrib. India: Evergreen forests, up to 1500 m. Assam and Meghalaya. Rare.
Laos, Vietnam and Thailand.
Notes. Fruits are used in the preparation of a perfumed medicinal oil, called kakoli oil. Roots and fruits are reported to be used as antidotes for snake poison and scorpion-sting.
Liana with strong, flexuous branches armed with axillary, slightly recurved spines often from a conical base; bark smooth when young, rather rough on ageing, greyish. Petioles 3 - 6.5 cm long, horizontally grooved above, glabrous; leaflet blades variable, oblong-elliptic or oblanceolate, cuneate at base, acute or shortly acuminate at apex, entire along margins, 6.5 - 18 x 2.5 - 4 cm, thick, coriaceous, glabrous; secondary nerves obscure. Inflorescences paniculate-racemes, often 4 - 6-flowered; peduncles short, glabrescent. Calyx cupular, 3.5 - 5 mm long; lobes 4, truncate, minute, ciliolate along margins. Petals 4, oblong, obtuse, 12 -16 x 3 - 4 mm, glabrous, fleshy, white. Stamens 8 - 10; filaments linear-subulate, connate almost to tip; staminal tube ca 12 mm long, glabrous; anthers linear, apiculate, ca 5 mm long. Ovary long-ovoid, ca 2.5 x 1.5 mm, seated on a columnar fleshy glandular disk (ca 1 x 3 mm), glabrous, 3-locular; each locule with 1 or 2 superimposed ovules; style continuous with ovary, cylindric, up to 7 mm long, glandular, glabrous; stigma capitate, ca 2.5 mm broad, glandular. Berries oblong, up to 20 x 25 mm; pericarp smooth, densely glandular or pustular, 3 locular; each locule with a solitary seed embedded in a mucilaginous matrix, the latter devoid of pulp-vesicles; seeds ovoid, rather pointed at apex; outer integument of testa membranous, greenish.
Fl. March - April; Fr. Ripens in Sept.
Distrib. India: Evergreen forests, up to 1500 m. Assam and Meghalaya. Rare.
Laos, Vietnam and Thailand.
Notes. Fruits are used in the preparation of a perfumed medicinal oil, called kakoli oil. Roots and fruits are reported to be used as antidotes for snake poison and scorpion-sting.
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