Dalechampia tamnifolia Lam., Encycl. 2: 256. 1786; Thomas in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 60: 475, ff. 1 - 2. 1963; Sebastine & Ramam. in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 8: 81. 1966.

Twining undershrubs with stinging hairs interspersed with simple hairs all over the plant. Leaves unlobed or palmately 3-lobed, when unlobed ovate-triangular, acuminate at apex, 5 – 10 x 4.5 – 8 cm, when lobed 15 – 20 x 5 – 8 cm, serrulate along margins, cordate and 5-nerved at base with a pair of recurved linear up to 1 cm long scales at the basal notch, coriaceous, puberulous above and beneath; central lobe elliptic-lanceolate, equal-sided, cuneate at base, acuminate at apex; lateral lobes falcate-lanceolate, unequal-sided, broader and rounded towards base, cuneate and narrower above, acuminate at apex; petioles 5 – 10 cm long; stipels linear, 4 – 6 mm long; stipules linear-lanceolate, 1 – 1.5 cm long, persistent. Inflorescences axillary peduncled heads; peduncles 6 – 12 cm long; bracts trilobed, 3 -5 cm long, each enclosing the male and female inflorescences. Male cymes: compound, consisting of ca 16 flowers arranged in 5 cymose bundles of 3 flowers each and one terminal solitary flower; bracteoles 5; sepals 5 – 7, keeled; stamens 25 – 40, surmounted on an androphore. Female cymes: with 3 flowers, each subtended by a ciliate bract; sepals 12, pinnatifid, accrescent, velvety tomentose; ovary 3-lobed; stylar column broadened towards trilobed stigma. Fruits trilobed, subtended by persistent pinnately lobed sepals.

Fl. & Fr. not known.

Distrib. India: Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Madagascar.

Notes. The original spelling given by Lamarck (1786) for the species is ‘tamnifolia’ and not ‘tamifolia’ as given in some later treatments.