Tetracera akara (Burm. f.) Merr.

Tetracera species are shrubs, lianas or stragglers. Branches smooth scabrid or pubescent. Leaves simple, usually scabrid, petiole furrowed, short. Inflorescence in terminal or lateral panicles, few or many flowered, Flowers bisexual, fragrant, actinomorphic. Calyx 4-5 toothed, rarely up to 15 sepals, imbricate, persistent, reflexed in fruit. Corolla 3-5 lobed, white or reddish white, apex emarginated, caducous. Stamens numerous, subequal, filaments free, anthers downwardly divergent, Carpels 2-4, free or solitary, with short straight styles, ovules 4-10 in a row. Fruits pseudocarps, carpels follicular, 1-4 globose, with short beak, 1-2 seeded, seeds glossy, dark brown or blackish, fleshy, fimbriate.

Flowering class: Dicot Habit: Climber

Flowering and fruiting: March-May

Tetracera species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects. Flowering/Fruiting: Almost throughout the year.

Seeds dispersed by zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals.

Large climbing or creeping lianas, about 30-60 ft long. Stems about 4-6 cm thick. Leaves simple, lanceolate-elliptic or oblanceolate-elliptic, 6-16 x 3-7 cm across, base acute or cuneate, margins entire or faintly undulate or dentate with mucronate dentate along the margins, apex acute to acuminate, coriaceous, glabrous, dark green shining above, glaucous beneath, lateral veins 6-11 on either side of the midrib, impressed above, prominent on midrib beneath, petioles stout, about 0.5-1 cm long. Inflorescence axillary or terminal panicles, about 5-8 cm long, peduncles slender, about 0.5-2 cm long, Flowers bisexual, white, turning maroon when old, about 2.5-3 cm across, pedicels slender, about 1-2.5 cm long, bracts, lanceolate, apex acute, caducous, about 2 mm long, bracteoles lanceolate, 1 mm long, Calyx 4 toothed, sepals ovate, green or reddish green, whitish yellow inside, glabrous outside, often reflexed in fruit, about 8-11 x 6-8 mm across, Corolla 3-4 lobed, petals white or greenish white, about 12-16 x 6-8 cm across, Stamens free, numerous, about 7-8 mm long, filaments free, white near the base grayish near the tip, anthers linear. Carpels 3-4, glabrous, 1.5 x 1 mm across, styles straight, about 5 mm long, Fruits dry dehiscent follicles globose, glabrous, about 1 cm in diameter, with tip of 1-3 mm long, seeds ovoid, about 2 x3 mm across, shining black, aril about 6 mm long, fimbriate.

.

Notes: Western Ghats, Evergreen Forests

Evergreen forests in shaded places, altitude up to 2200 ft.

Semi-evergreen forests,also in sacred groves

Leaves decoction is mixed with rice and given as a medicine for mouth ulcer or aphthae.

Medicinal