Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers

Climber

Tinospora species are succulent woody climbing shrubs, generally sending down long aerial roots from the host trees, where they spread. Bark corky or papery, exfoliating on drying. Leaves simple, alternate, broadly ovate, subcordate, margin entire or dentate, not peltate, basal veins 3-7, lateral veins 1-3 pairs, petioles geniculate and swollen near the base. Inflorescences axillary or on old leafless branches, pseudoracemes, pseudopaniculate, thyrsoid, few flowered, peduncled. Flowers unisexual, pedicellate. Male flowers, sepals 6, in 2 series, inner series largest, outer series smallest, free, imbricate, subelliptic, apex acute, petals 3-6, free, obovate, apex cuneate, lateral edges inrolled, fleshy, stamens 6, filaments free, anthers loculed, subextrorse, obliquely or longitudinally dehisced. Female flowers sepals and petals similar as in males, staminodes 6, subulate, carpels 3, ellipsoid-curved, style short, thick, stigma reflexed, peltate. Fruits drupes, subglobose or ellipsoid, columnar carpophore, endocarp hard, bony, dorsally convex, often verrucose, deeply ruminate, ventral side with central aperture, Seeds curved or half moon shape, endospermic, cotyledons flattened, leaflike, radicle short.

Flowering class: Dicot Habit: Climber

Flowering and fruiting: January-June

Seeds

Tinospora species are dioecious i.e., male (staminate) flowers on one plant, and female (pistillate) flowers on another plant. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects. Flowering/Fruiting: August-January.

Seeds may be dispersed by barochory i.e., gravitational dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

A large woody succulent climbing shrub. Bark grayish brown, corky, young shoots glabrous, flaking with age, stem striate, scattered with lenticels, branches striate, generally sending down long aerial roots from the host trees, where they spread. Leaves simple, alternate, broadly ovate, cordate or suborbicular, 4-17 x 4.5-14 cm across, base cordate to sinuate, margin entire, apex deeply acuminate or cuspidate, chartaceous, membranous, thin, green, glabrous above, paler glabrous with glandular papillose patches beneath, strong basal veins 5-7, impressed above and prominent beneath, lateral veins 2-3 pairs, veinlets fine and close, petiole twisted, swollen near the base, pulvinate, glabrous, about 2-7 cm long. Inflorescence axillary or on old leafless stems, slender, pseudo-racemose cymes, about 4-15 cm long. Flowers unisexual, fascicled, yellow, pedicellate. Male flowers, pedicels slender, glabrous about 3-4 mm long, sepals 6, in 2 series, inner series larger, elliptic, concave, about 3-4 mm long, outer series smaller, about 1-1.5 mm long, free, imbricate, subelliptic, apex acute, petals 6, free, rhomboidal, obovate, lateral edges inrolled, fleshy, stamens 6, free, filaments clavate, about 3 mm long, anthers loculed, subextrorse, obliquely or longitudinally dehisced. Female flowers, sepals and petals similar as in male flowers, staminodes 6, carpels 3, curved-ellipsoid, about 2 mm long, glabrous, style short, stigma capitate. Fruits drupes, ovoid or globose, glabrous, shining, bright red when ripe, about 5-7 mm across, stalks about 4-7 mm long, pericarp thin, style scar subterminal, endocarp bony, very thin, subrotund or broadly elliptic about 6-7 mm long, rounded, flattened ventral, slightly papillose on surface, style scars subbasal. Seeds curved or half moon shape, endospermic, cotyledons flattened, leaflike, radicle short.

Susceptible to nematode attacks and moulds.

Notes: Western Ghats , Moist Deciduous Forests and Scrub jungles

Riparian Forests

Scrubs to deciduous forests, also in riparian forests, altitude up to 1400 m.

Moist deciduous forests and scrub jungles, also in the plains

Common

Threats recoded

It is found growing wild in the tropical forest

Leaves are expectorant, diuretic. Plant decoction used to treat liver, eye diseases, urinary problems, anemia, cancer, diarrhea, diabetes, rheumatism, laxative and cardiac ailments. Used in Ayurvedic, Siddha, Tibetan, Unani and Homeopathic medicines.

Medicinal