Biology:Combretum indicum
| Combretum indicum | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Combretaceae |
| Genus: | Combretum |
| Species: | C. indicum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Combretum indicum (L.) DeFilipps
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| Synonyms[3] | |
Combretum indicum, also commonly known as the Rangoon creeper[4] or Burma creeper,[2] is a vine with red flower clusters which is native to tropical Asia and grows in thickets, primary and secondary forest, and along river banks in the Indian subcontinent, Malaysia and the Philippines .[1]:547 It has since been cultivated and naturalized in tropical areas such as Burma, Vietnam, and Thailand.
This plant is grown as an ornament.[5][2]
Description
The Rangoon creeper is a ligneous vine that can reach from 2.5 meters to up to 8 meters. The leaves are elliptical with an acuminate tip and a rounded base. They grow from 7 to 15 centimeters and their arrangement is opposite.
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 hawkmoths. On the second day it turns pink, and on the third it turns red attracting day flying bees and birds. The flower also changes from a horizontal orientation to a drooping pose.[6]:175[1]:548
Buds and flowers of Combretum indicum in West Bengal, India
Flowers in morning
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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 quisqualic acid, which is an agonist for the AMPA receptor, a kind of glutamate receptor in the brain. The chemical is linked to excitotoxicity (cell death).[7][8] The seeds have been used for treating roundworm and pinworm.[citation needed] It is toxic to the parasite and kills it in the digestive tract.[citation needed]
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
Flowers: small, cream calyx surrounded by large pink petals
'Spines' derived from remnants of petioles
Climbing plant in flower
Bud shape
Foliage: the young leaves (not shown) are brown-tinted
The vines twine round Casuarina equisetifolia for further growth support
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Exell, A.W. (1948). "Combretaceae". Flora Malesiana 4 (1): 533–589. https://repository.naturalis.nl/pub/532636.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Quisqualis indica Linn. – Niog-niogan. Bureau of Plant Industry, Department of Agriculture, Republic of Philippines. n.d.. http://www.bpi.da.gov.ph/Publications/mp/pdf/n/niog-niogan.pdf.
- ↑ "Combretum indicum (L.) DeFilipps". Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. 2023. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77101543-1.
- ↑ {{citation | mode = cs1 | title = Combretum indicum | work = Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) | url = | publisher = [[Organization:Agricultural Research ServAgricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) | access-date = 8 August 2019 }}
- ↑ Oakes, Albert Jackson (1967). Some Harmful Plants of Southeast Asia. Bethesda, Maryland, USA: Naval Medical School. pp. 39–40. https://books.google.com/books?id=cQrOAAAAMAAJ&dq=quisqualis+ornamental&pg=PA39.
- ↑ Eisikowitch, D.; Rotem, R. (1987). "Flower Orientation and Color Change in Quisqualis indica and Their Possible Role in Pollinator Partitioning". Botanical Gazette 148 (2): 175–179. doi:10.1086/337645.
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Traill, Dr William (1863). "I. Notes on Horticultural Experience at Russelconda, South India". Transactions of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh 7 (1–4): 109–110. doi:10.1080/03746606309467805. https://zenodo.org/record/1430576.
External links
Wikidata ☰ Q1062389 entry
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