Herbarium JCB

Decalepis hamiltonii Wight & Arn.

Family : ASCLEPIADACEAE
(MILKWEED FAMILY)
Family (as per The Plant List) : Apocynaceae
Species : Decalepis hamiltonii
Species Name (as per The Plant List) : Decalepis hamiltonii Wight & Arn.
Vernacular name : Maakaliberu (Kan.); Maahaali Kizhangu, Mavallinga kizhangu (Tam.); Nannari, Maredu kommulu, Neemam teega, Madina kommulu (Tel.)
Endemism : Peninsular India
Key identification features : A glabrous woody twining shrub. Leaves are simple, orbicular or elliptic obovate, Flowers are small (1.5 cm. diameter); corolla white, villous within and rotate; corona of 10 scales, alternately long and hooded and short triangular flat; Stamens 5 and alternate with triangular glands, anthers are fused with the style apex. Fruit is a follicle.
Habit : Liana
Flower, Fruit : May-January
Native : India
Comments : On hills of scrub and deciduous forests up to 1100 m among rocks, stream banks etc. The tubers are medicinal and often pickled.
Conservation Status : Not Evaluated (NE)
Distribution Locality : Bellary district, Kolar district (Karnataka State); Pachamalai Hills (Tiruchirapalli district) (Tamil Nadu State); Horsley Hills, Kambakkam Hills (Chittoor district), Palakonda Hills (Kadapa district), Nallamalai Hills (Kurnool district), Anantapur district, Prakasham district (Andhra Pradesh State)
World Distribution : India
Literature : Pullaiah et al., 2011 - Flora of Eastern Ghats Vol. 4; N.P.Singh, 1988. Flora of Eastern Karnataka; 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=Decalepis hamiltonii. Downloaded on 5 July 2025.