Combretum indicum
Combretum indicum | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Combretaceae |
Genus: | Combretum |
Species: | C. indicum
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Binomial name | |
Combretum indicum (L.) DeFilipps
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Synonyms[3] | |
Combretum indicum, also commonly known as the Rangoon creeper
This plant is grown as an ornament.[5][2]
Description
The Rangoon creeper is a
Flowers and fruit
The flowers are tubular, consisting of oblong petals 6–8 mm long. They are fragrant and have long receptacles to adapt for pollinators with long tongues.[1]: 547–548
They change in colour with age and it is thought that this is a strategy to gather more pollinators. The flower is initially white and opens at dusk to attract
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Buds and flowers of Combretum indicum in West Bengal, India
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Flowers in morning
The 30 to 35 mm long fruit is dark brown, ellipsoidal and has five stiff and prominent wings. The seed tastes like almond or coconut when mature.[1]: 547
Potential toxicity
The seeds of this and related species, Quisqualis fructus and Q. chinensis, contain the chemical
History
Dr John Ivor Murray sent a sample of the "nuts" to the Museum of Economic Botany in Edinburgh in 1861, with a note that they were "used by the Chinese for worms" and a description of the means of preparation and dosage.[9]
Gallery
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Flowers: small, cream calyx surrounded by large pink petals
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'Spines' derived from remnants of petioles
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Climbing plant in flower
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Bud shape
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Foliage: the young leaves (not shown) are brown-tinted
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The vines twine round Casuarina equisetifolia for further growth support
References
- ^ a b c d e Exell, A.W. (1948). "Combretaceae". Flora Malesiana. 4 (1): 533–589 – via Naturalis Institutional Repository.
- ^ a b c Quisqualis indica Linn. – Niog-niogan (PDF). Bureau of Plant Industry, Department of Agriculture, Republic of Philippines. n.d. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 July 2011.
- ^ "Combretum indicum (L.) DeFilipps". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- ^ "Combretum indicum". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
- ^ Oakes, Albert Jackson (1967). Some Harmful Plants of Southeast Asia. Bethesda, Maryland, USA: Naval Medical School. pp. 39–40.
- S2CID 84197357.
- ^ Excitotoxic cell death and delayed rescue in human neurons derived from NT2 cells, M Munir, L Lu and P Mcgonigl, Journal of Neuroscience, Vol 15, 7847–7860
- ^ Glutamate cytotoxicity in a neuronal cell line is blocked by membrane depolarization. T. H. Murphy, R. L. Schnaar, J. T. Coyle and A. Sastre. Brain Research Volume 460, Issue 1, 13 September 1988, Pages 155–160
- .
External links
- Quisqualis indica L.
- Quisqualis indica (PIER species info)
- Dressler, S.; Schmidt, M. & Zizka, G. (2014). "Combretum indicum". African plants – a Photo Guide. Frankfurt/Main: Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg.