Helicanthes elasticus
(Desv.) Danser in Verh. Kon. Ned. Akad. Wetensch. Afd. Natuurk.
Sect. II, 29(6): 55. 1933. Loranthus elasticus Desv. in Lam., Encycl. 3: 599. 1789; Hook.f., Fl. Brit.
India 5: 216. 1886.
Mal.: Mavu-iththil; Tam.: Mavil-ithil.
Shrubs, entirely glabrous; branches pseudo-dichotomous or trichotomous, swollen at nodes. Leaves opposite, decussate, sessile or subsessile, obovate to elliptic-ovate or suborbicular, cuneate at base, undulate along margins, obtuse or subacute at apex, 5 - 12 x 2.5 - 6.5 cm, chartaceous, palmati-pinnate; lateral nerves 4 or 5 pairs. Inflorescences dichasial fascicles, intra-nodal, whorled, sunken in nodal concavities, many; flower buds lanceolate, terete, curved, glabrous, 1.5 - 2 cm long; flowers sessile, 5-merous, actinomorphic, sympetalous, 2 - 3 cm long; bracts lunate, ca 0.3 mm long. Calyculus cupular, truncate, with ca 0.8 mm high rim. Corolla-tube split equally up to middle, 0.9 - 1.4 cm long; lobes 5, linear, spirally twisted and interlocked after anthesis, as long as tube. Stamens 5, red; filaments coiled, 6 - 7 mm long; anthers linear, twisted; anther-thecae in 2 pairs, ca 2 mm long. Ovary subspherical with depressed sides, 2 - 2.5 mm long; style curved; stigma narrowly elliptic-ovate, papillate. Fruits more or less spherical, glabrous, minutely papillate with persistent truncate calyculus, 10 - 12 x 6 - 7 mm, pink when ripe.
Fl. & Fr. Dec. - April, July - Sept.
Distrib. India: On a variety of hosts at moderate altitudes above 600 m. Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Endemic.
Uses. Leaves are used to check abortion, stone formation in bladder, kidney affections and eczema.
Notes. Sclereids present in mesophyll; vessel pittings opposite, narrowly elliptic; fibres thick-walled with spicular projections.
Pollen 3 - 4-lobed; P - 33 (36) 40 µm; E - 52 (57.5) 61 µm; P/E 0.62 µm; ex. 1 µm; col. 0.5 µm.
Chromosome number: n = 8 (Johri et al. in Phytomorphology 7: 336 - 354. 1957).
Shrubs, entirely glabrous; branches pseudo-dichotomous or trichotomous, swollen at nodes. Leaves opposite, decussate, sessile or subsessile, obovate to elliptic-ovate or suborbicular, cuneate at base, undulate along margins, obtuse or subacute at apex, 5 - 12 x 2.5 - 6.5 cm, chartaceous, palmati-pinnate; lateral nerves 4 or 5 pairs. Inflorescences dichasial fascicles, intra-nodal, whorled, sunken in nodal concavities, many; flower buds lanceolate, terete, curved, glabrous, 1.5 - 2 cm long; flowers sessile, 5-merous, actinomorphic, sympetalous, 2 - 3 cm long; bracts lunate, ca 0.3 mm long. Calyculus cupular, truncate, with ca 0.8 mm high rim. Corolla-tube split equally up to middle, 0.9 - 1.4 cm long; lobes 5, linear, spirally twisted and interlocked after anthesis, as long as tube. Stamens 5, red; filaments coiled, 6 - 7 mm long; anthers linear, twisted; anther-thecae in 2 pairs, ca 2 mm long. Ovary subspherical with depressed sides, 2 - 2.5 mm long; style curved; stigma narrowly elliptic-ovate, papillate. Fruits more or less spherical, glabrous, minutely papillate with persistent truncate calyculus, 10 - 12 x 6 - 7 mm, pink when ripe.
Fl. & Fr. Dec. - April, July - Sept.
Distrib. India: On a variety of hosts at moderate altitudes above 600 m. Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Endemic.
Uses. Leaves are used to check abortion, stone formation in bladder, kidney affections and eczema.
Notes. Sclereids present in mesophyll; vessel pittings opposite, narrowly elliptic; fibres thick-walled with spicular projections.
Pollen 3 - 4-lobed; P - 33 (36) 40 µm; E - 52 (57.5) 61 µm; P/E 0.62 µm; ex. 1 µm; col. 0.5 µm.
Chromosome number: n = 8 (Johri et al. in Phytomorphology 7: 336 - 354. 1957).
