Herbarium JCB

Hemidesmus indicus var. indicus (L.) R.Br.

Family : ASCLEPIADACEAE
(MILKWEED FAMILY)
Family (as per The Plant List) : Apocynaceae
Species : Hemidesmus indicus
Variety : indicus
Species Name (as per The Plant List) : Hemidesmus indicus (L.) R. Br. ex Schult.
Common name : Indian Sarasaparilla
Vernacular name : Antamul, Salsa, Kapuri, Magrabu (Hin.); Namada beru, Nannari beru, Sugandhi beru, Sogade beru, Anantha beru (Kan.); Nannari, Suganthipaala (Tam.); Nannari, Sugandhi paala, Muttava pulagamu, Sugandapala, Alsugondhi, Adavi ippateega, Chinna sugandha (Tel.); Onontomulo, Sugandhi, Raigadi, Chemiribaramula, Dudhi, Sukundi, Alsun kandi, Ladugora, Dudholeh, Thapa, Anontmul (Ori.); Sariva (San.)
Collection Nos : HJCB-E-154
Collector(s) Name : Arun Singh R. & K.R.K.Swamy
Collection Date : 28/11/14
Collection Locality : Tirumala Hills, Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh State
Habitat : Open deciduous forest
Key identification features : A straggler with milky latex. Leaves are simple, opposite decussate, narrow or broadly oblong, glabrous above, often streaked with white lines. Flowers (about 5 cm. across) are crowded in subsessile cymes. Calyx lobes 5, ovate, acute. Corolla is greenish outside, purple inside with a short tube and spreading lobes. Fruit is a follicle and seeds are with brownish-white hairs.
Habit : Climber
Flower, Fruit : August-February
Comments : Occasional in plains on scrub jungles to 600 m on hill slopes up to 1200 m. Roots are valued for flavouring material for drinks and for medicine.
Conservation Status : Not Evaluated (NE)
Distribution Locality : Throughout Eastern Ghats
World Distribution : India, Sri Lanka
Literature : Pullaiah et al., 2011 - Flora of Eastern Ghats Vol. 4; J.L.Ellis, 1990- Flora of Nallamalais Vol. 2; H.O. Saxena & M. Brahmam, 1995- Flora of Orissa Vol. 2 ; R. S. Rao et al., 1986 - Flora of West Godavari District ; R. S. Rao and S. H. Sreeramulu, 1986 - Flora of Srikakulam District; H. O. Saxena and M. Brahmam, 1989 - The Flora of Similipal, Orissa; 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=Hemidesmus indicus var. indicus. Downloaded on 7 June 2025.