Tetrastigma serrulatum
(Roxb.) Planchon in DC., Monogr. Phan.
5: 432. 1887, Cissus serrulata Roxb., Fl. Ind 1: 432. 1820. C. nepaulensis
DC. Prodr. 1: 632. 1824. Vitis capreolata D. Don, Prodr. Fl .
Nep. 188. 1825;
M. Lawson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 659. 1875. Tetrastigma indicum Malik in
Bull. Bot. Surv. Ind. 13: 352. 1971.
Kh. : Mei-sch-mynjiriang; Nep.: Charchari.
Slender, far climbing or creeping shrubs; branches terete to angular, glabrous; tendrils slender, branched near apex. Leaves 5-foliolate; petioles 2-5 cm long, striate; terminal leaflets obovate or elliptic, 3-7 x 1.5-3 cm, acute or obtuse and mucronate at apex, attenuate at base, crenate-serrate at margins, petiolules ca 5 mm long; lateral leaflets 1.5-4 x 0.8-2 cm, oblique at base, margins and apex as in terminal leaflets; petiolules ca 3 mm long. Inflorescences 3-4 -chotomous, umbellate cymes, 2-6 cm long, glabrous; peduncles 1-3 cm long. Flowers ca 2 mm long; pedicels ca 2 mm long. Calyx cupular, truncate, glabrous. Petals elliptic, 2-2.5 x 1 mm. hooded, glrbrous. Stamens ca 1.5 mm long; anthers oblong. Disc basal. Ovary pitcher shaped, ca 1.5 mm long, glabrous; style obscure; stigma 4-fid. Berries globose, ca 6 mm across, shortly apiculate, 1-3-seeded. Seeds pyriform, ca 5 x 3 mm; adaxial surface with a prominent raphe; abaxial surface convex with a spathulate chalaza.
Distrib. India: Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya.
Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, China (Yunnan) and Thailand.
Notes. A very elegant and common climber throughout the Himalaya in between 1500-2000 m, sometimes upper branches hang in dense leafy festoons.
Slender, far climbing or creeping shrubs; branches terete to angular, glabrous; tendrils slender, branched near apex. Leaves 5-foliolate; petioles 2-5 cm long, striate; terminal leaflets obovate or elliptic, 3-7 x 1.5-3 cm, acute or obtuse and mucronate at apex, attenuate at base, crenate-serrate at margins, petiolules ca 5 mm long; lateral leaflets 1.5-4 x 0.8-2 cm, oblique at base, margins and apex as in terminal leaflets; petiolules ca 3 mm long. Inflorescences 3-4 -chotomous, umbellate cymes, 2-6 cm long, glabrous; peduncles 1-3 cm long. Flowers ca 2 mm long; pedicels ca 2 mm long. Calyx cupular, truncate, glabrous. Petals elliptic, 2-2.5 x 1 mm. hooded, glrbrous. Stamens ca 1.5 mm long; anthers oblong. Disc basal. Ovary pitcher shaped, ca 1.5 mm long, glabrous; style obscure; stigma 4-fid. Berries globose, ca 6 mm across, shortly apiculate, 1-3-seeded. Seeds pyriform, ca 5 x 3 mm; adaxial surface with a prominent raphe; abaxial surface convex with a spathulate chalaza.
Distrib. India: Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya.
Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, China (Yunnan) and Thailand.
Notes. A very elegant and common climber throughout the Himalaya in between 1500-2000 m, sometimes upper branches hang in dense leafy festoons.
