Tragia montana
(Thwaites) Müll.Arg. in Linnaea 34: 183. 1865 & in DC., Prodr. 15(2):
944. 1866; Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147. (heft 68): 81. 1919; Chakrab. & N.P.Balakr.
in Rheedea 16: 20. 2006; N.P.Balakr. & Chakrab., Fam. Euphorb. India 182. 2007. T. involucrata
var. montana Thwaites, Enum. Pl. Zeyl. 270. 1861. T. involucrata var. cordata Müll.Arg., l. c.
943. 1866; Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 465. 1888. T. muelleriana Pax & K.Hoffm., l. c. 80. 1919, excl. var. unicolor; Gamble, Fl. Madras 2(7): 1332. 1925 (repr. ed. 2: 932. 1957). T. muelleriana var.
unicolor auct. non (Müll.Arg.) Pax & K.Hoffm. 1919: A.N.Londhe in N.P. Singh et al., Fl.
Maharashtra State: Dicot 2: 904. 2001, p. p., excl. syn.
Kan.: Dulagondi; Kon.: Pimt-khatkhutli; Mar.: Khajkolti.
Slender climbers, monoecious or dioecious, sparsely hispid-pubescent with patent simple stinging hairs; young shoots densely ochraceous hirsute; branches densely hispid but very soon glabrous. Leaves cordate-ovate to suborbicular or ovate-oblong to ovate-elliptic or deltoid-ovate to deltoid-oblong, cordate to subcordate at base, dentate, serrate or denticulateserrulate along margins, caudate at apex, 4 – 16 x 1.5 – 8 cm, membranous to thinly chartaceous, scattered hispid or hirsute or scabrid above, sparsely so in age, scattered hispid or hirsute (mainly on nerves) to glabrous beneath, 3-nerved at base; lateral nerves 4 – 6 pairs, semicraspedromous to craspedromous; petioles 5 – 40 mm long. Racemes 3 – 7 cm long, unisexual or bisexual; peduncles 0.5 – 4 cm long; bracts narrowly ovate-oblong, linear or lanceolate, 1 – 4 mm long. Male flowers: pedicels 1 – 2 mm long; sepals 3, ovate or suborbicular, ca 1mm long/across, glabrous; stamens 3; filaments triangular, ca 0.4 mm long; anthers oblong, ca 0.4 mm long. Female flowers: subsessile; sepals 6, ovate or broadly so, fimbriate along margins with many short and long sub-arcuate teeth or lobes, ca 5 x 5 mm; ovary 1 – 1.5 x 1.5 – 2 mm, 3-lobed, hispid; styles 2 – 5 mm long, trifid and recurved at apex. Fruits subsessile, depressed, 4 – 5 x 10 – 12 mm, deeply 3-lobed, evanescently hispid; fruiting sepals usually enclosing the fruits, 8 – 10 x 5 – 10 mm; main body of sepals ovate or broadly so, laceratefimbriate along margins, appressed puberulous, hirsute, sparsely pilose or glabrous outside, scattered puberulous, sparsely pilose or glabrous inside; marginal laciniae (or lobes) numerous, 1 – 3 mm long, often arching, fulvous hispid or hirsute.
Slender climbers, monoecious or dioecious, sparsely hispid-pubescent with patent simple stinging hairs; young shoots densely ochraceous hirsute; branches densely hispid but very soon glabrous. Leaves cordate-ovate to suborbicular or ovate-oblong to ovate-elliptic or deltoid-ovate to deltoid-oblong, cordate to subcordate at base, dentate, serrate or denticulateserrulate along margins, caudate at apex, 4 – 16 x 1.5 – 8 cm, membranous to thinly chartaceous, scattered hispid or hirsute or scabrid above, sparsely so in age, scattered hispid or hirsute (mainly on nerves) to glabrous beneath, 3-nerved at base; lateral nerves 4 – 6 pairs, semicraspedromous to craspedromous; petioles 5 – 40 mm long. Racemes 3 – 7 cm long, unisexual or bisexual; peduncles 0.5 – 4 cm long; bracts narrowly ovate-oblong, linear or lanceolate, 1 – 4 mm long. Male flowers: pedicels 1 – 2 mm long; sepals 3, ovate or suborbicular, ca 1mm long/across, glabrous; stamens 3; filaments triangular, ca 0.4 mm long; anthers oblong, ca 0.4 mm long. Female flowers: subsessile; sepals 6, ovate or broadly so, fimbriate along margins with many short and long sub-arcuate teeth or lobes, ca 5 x 5 mm; ovary 1 – 1.5 x 1.5 – 2 mm, 3-lobed, hispid; styles 2 – 5 mm long, trifid and recurved at apex. Fruits subsessile, depressed, 4 – 5 x 10 – 12 mm, deeply 3-lobed, evanescently hispid; fruiting sepals usually enclosing the fruits, 8 – 10 x 5 – 10 mm; main body of sepals ovate or broadly so, laceratefimbriate along margins, appressed puberulous, hirsute, sparsely pilose or glabrous outside, scattered puberulous, sparsely pilose or glabrous inside; marginal laciniae (or lobes) numerous, 1 – 3 mm long, often arching, fulvous hispid or hirsute.
KEY TO THE VARIETIES
| 1 a. Plants dioecious; inflorescences unisexual | 4.1. dioica |
| b. Plants monoecious; inflorescences bisexual | 4.2. montana |
