Common name: Paper flower climber • Marathi: Ukshi उक्शी • Hindi: Kokoray • Bengali: Gaichha lata • Kannada: Enjarigekubsa • Tamil: Pullanji Valli • Sanskrit: Susavi • Telugu: Murugudutige • Oriya: Dhonoti • Malayalam: Pullani
Botanical name: Calycopteris floribunda Family: Combretaceae (rangoon creeper family)
Ukshi is a large climbing shrub which is 5-10 meters long, with vines that
are about two to
four inches in diameter, the stem and leaves are said to be medicinal. Ukshi
is found extensively in the low-lying tropical evergreen forests of the
Western Ghats. These are also found in "Kavus" or the Sacred Groves of Kerala.
It bears grey barks and tenuous branches with thick fluffs on the surface. The
keratinous leaves, ovoid or oval, are 5 to 12 centimeters long.
New branches are hairy and rust colored. Flowers
occur in dense clusters are the end of branches. The bracts of the small
flowers are ovoid or oval, with thick fluffs on the surface. Petals are
absent. The 10 stamens
are arranged in 2 cycles. The fruit inception bears 1 ventricle and 3
pendulous ovules inside. The fluffy sham-winged fruit, which is about 8
millimeters long, has 5 edges and 5 persistent calyxes which enlarges into the
fluffy aliform with 10 to 14 millimeters in length.
hairy and green sepals are prominent. Ukshi is revered as a life-saver by the
forest dwellers who regularly depend on this vine during summer when streams
dry up. Sections of the vine store water, which people often use to quench
their thirst.
| Photographed in Maharashtra |
Identification credit: Dinesh Valke
|
ative