Herbarium JCB

Derris scandens (Roxb.) Benth.

Family : FABACEAE
(PEA OR BEAN FAMILY)
Family (as per The Plant List) : Leguminosae
Subfamily : Faboideae
Species : Derris scandens
Basionym : Dalbergia scandens Roxb.
Species Name (as per The Plant List) : Derris scandens (Roxb.) Benth.
Common name : Hog Creeper
Vernacular name : Gonj (Hin.); Handhi balli (Kan.); Thekil, Thegil, Ponili (Tam.); Nallatiga, Choratalibadu, Chirukatige, Suruli, Mottasirili (Tel.); Kentia, Kamocho, Mohagano (Ori.)
Collection Nos : HJCB-0122
Collector(s) Name : K.Sankara Rao, K.R.K.Swamy, Arun Singh R. & Siddharth.S
Collection Date : 26/10/14
Collection Locality : Bakharapet ghat, Talakona-Tirupati road, Chittoor district
Habitat : Scrub Jungle
Key identification features : A large climbing shrub. Leaves are once compound, about 3-6 inches long, with channeled rachis. Leaflets are elliptic, oblong or obovate-oblong. Racemes are axillary, long with 3-4 flowers at each node. Flowers are white or pink. Calyx is grey, silky. Corolla is white or pale pink, standard with a long claw. Stamens are united by filaments. Pod is 5-seeded and winged along the upper suture.
Habit : Liana
Flower, Fruit : July-February
Comments : Occasional in plains and in scrub jungles along road cuttings, across ghats, forest edges and along river banks up to 750 m.
Conservation Status : Least Concern (LC)
Distribution Locality : Vellore district, Dharmapuri district, Javadhu Hills (Tiruvannamalai district, former North Arcot) (Tamil Nadu State); Nellore district, Nallamalai Hills (Prakasham district), North Dhone forest (Kurnool district), Srikakulam district, Guntur district, East Godavari district, Chittoor district, West Godavari district (Andhra Pradesh State); Ganjam district (Odisha State)
World Distribution : India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, South-East Asia, China, Malaysia, Northern Australia
Literature : Pullaiah et al., 2001 - Flora of Eastern Ghats Vol. 2; J.L.Ellis, 1987- Flora of Nallamalais Vol. 1 ; R. S. Rao et al., 1986 - Flora of West Godavari District ; R. S. Rao and S. H. Sreeramulu, 1986 - Flora of Srikakulam District; IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. ; Matthew, K.M., The Flora of Tamil Nadu Carnatic, Vol.3 (1). Diocesan Press, Madras. 1983.
Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Arun Singh R., Deepak Kumar, Raja K Swamy and Navendu Page (2016). Digital Flora of Eastern Ghats. http://easternghats.ces.iisc.ernet.in/plants.php?name=Derris scandens. Downloaded on 2 April 2025.