East-himalayan tape vine, elephant dropping plant


Scientific Name

Stephania glandulifera Miers


Other Names

Baatulpaate


Life Form

Climber


Family

Menispermaceae



Baatulpaate
Image by - Saroj Kasaju
Usages

Not documented


Native to

Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal


Habitat

Wet tropical biome.


Conservation Status

Not evaluated



Plant Description

Perennial climber

Slender, grooved.

Leaves are simple, nearly round, somewhat heart-shaped or triangular, 5-11 x 4-10 cm across, base somewhat heart-shaped or nearly flat, margin entire, tip pointed or blunt with with a short sharp point tip, papery, membranous, dark green, hairless above, paler glaucous beneath, strong basal veins 5-7 towards the tip, 3-5 towards the base from the leaf-stalk, impressed above and slightly prominent beneath.

Flowers are borne in leaf-axils or at branch-ends, in stalked umbel-like cymes. Flowers are unisexual, greenish yellow. Male inflorescence is in leaf-axils umbel-like cymes. Male flowers, sepals 6-8, in series, ovate-obovate, tip blunt, glandular, papillose on dorsal side, petals 3-4, thick, round, base wedge-shaped, tip blunt, synandrium peltate, about 1 mm long. Female flowers greenish yellow, narrow wedge-shaped, hairless, style short, stigma 5-fid or lobed.

Fruits are drupes, nearly spherical or obovoid, slightly compressed, about 7-10 x 5-7 mm across, stalkless, red when mature.


Phenology

Flowerin: March- July.