Leea indica (Burm.F.) Merr.

Species

Angiosperms > Vitales > Vitaceae > Leea

Characteristics

Shrub, treelet or small tree, 2-10(-16) m, multior single stemmed, frequently stilt-rooted; stems glabrous to pubescent, rarely woolly or scabrously hairy or papillose or bristly. Leaves (1-)2-or 3-pinnate, leaflets 7-∞. Petiole (6-) 10-25 (-35) cm long; stipules obovate, up to 6 by 4 cm, early caducous, usually glabrous to sparsely pubescent, rarely densely soft or bristly hairy, scar broadly triangular, 2-3½ (-5) cm long; rachis (6-) 10-35(-60) cm, glabrous to pubescent, rarely soft or bristly hairy, or papillose. Leaflets (broadly ovate to ovate) ovate-oblong to ovate-lanceolate or (broadly) elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, (4-) 10-24(-45) by (1-) 3-12 (-20) cm, glabrous to hairy, rarely densely so, or woolly, chartaceous to sub-coriaceous; pearl glands angular to somewhat globose, small, rapidly caducous; margins (crenate to) serrate to shallowly dentate; apex acute to acuminate; base cuneate to rounded (to subcordate); nerves (5-) 6-16 (-20) pairs; petiolules up to 25 mm, glabrous to hairy. Inflorescences (5-)10-25 (-40) cm long, usually broad and lax, rarely condensed, glabrous to pubescent, rarely soft or bristly hairy or papillose; bracts deltoid to narrowly triangular (to linear), up to 4(-8) mm long; peduncle up to 15 cm, lateral and ultimate branches numerous and spreading, rarely highly condensed. Flowers 5-merous, greenish-white. Calyx (1-)2-3 by (2-)3-4 mm, glabrous to pubescent, lobes 1-2 by 1-2 mm. Corolla tube + staminodial lobes 2½-3½ mm; corolla lobes 2½-3½ by 1½-2½ mm. Staminodial tube (1½-)2-2½ mm long; upper free part 1¼-2 mm; lobes shallowly retuse, notched (or cleft), sinuses shallow to 0.4 mm, rarely deep¾-1¼ mm; upper part 0.2-0.5 mm. Filaments ¾-1½ mm, anthers 1-1½ mm. Ovary (4-) 6 (-8)-celled, style 1-2½ mm. Fruit 5-10(-15) mm ø, purple-black; seeds usually 6, c. 5 by 4 mm, rumination outline simple, endosperm simply ruminate.
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Erect shrubs to small trees. Branchlets terete, longitudinal ridges obtuse, glabrous. Leaves 2-or 3-pinnate, glabrous; stipules broadly obovate, 2.5-4.5 × 2-3.5 cm, apex rounded, glabrous; petiole 13-23 cm, central petiolules 2-5 cm, lateral petiolules shorter, 0.2-0.5 cm, glabrous; leaf axis 14-30 cm, glabrous; leaflets elliptic, elongate elliptic, or elliptic-lanceolate, 6-32 × 2.5-8 cm, base rounded, or rarely broadly cuneate, margin with irregular or slightly regular teeth, teeth sharp, apex acuminate or caudate; lateral veins 6-11 pairs, abaxial veinlets conspicuous but not protruding. Inflorescences opposite to leaves, compound dichasial or umbelliform; peduncle 1-2 cm, with brown hairs. Involucre elliptic-lanceolate, ca. 0.8 × 0.3-0.8 cm, apex acuminate, glabrous; bracts oval elliptic-lanceolate, 3-4 × 2.5-3 mm, apex shortly acute and acuminate, glabrous, deciduous. Pedicel 1-2 mm, ferruginous pubescent; buds 1.5-2 mm, apex suborbicular. Calyx tube urceolate; sepal triangular, glabrous. Petals elliptic, 1.8-2.5 mm, glabrous, white or greenish white. Staminodial tube 0.5-1 mm, with lower fused part 0.2-0.3 mm, upper 0.3-0.7 mm, lobes 0.1-0.2 mm. Stamens 5; filaments 0.5-0.8 mm; anthers elliptic, 0.8-1.5 × 0.4-0.8 mm. Ovary globose; style 0.5-0.7 mm; stigma expanded slightly. Berry 0.8-1 cm in diam., 4-6-seeded. Fl. Apr-Jul, fr. Aug-Dec. 2n = 24.
A slender shrub. It grows 1-3 m tall and spreads 0.3-1 m wide. The stems are pithy. The young growth is pale green. The leaves are 30-60 cm long. The leaves are compound. They have leaflets along the stalk. The leaves can be divided 2-3 times. The leaflets are 6-25 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. The leaflets are glossy and have teeth along the edge. The leaflets have distinctive veins. The flowers are in groups 10-20 cm across and with many branches. The flowers are 0.4 cm across and green or cream. The fruit are berries 0.5 cm long and black.
Life form perennial
Growth form
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 0.3 - 1.0
Mature height (meter) 3.5 - 5.5
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Undisturbed to slightly disturbed (open sites) in mixed dipterocarp, swamp and sub-montane forests up to elevations of 1,200 metres. Usually on alluvial sites and near or along rivers and streams. Also found on limestone.
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Wide-spread and common throughout the area, secondary forest and villages (often coppiced), primary forest, wet areas to ridges up to 1700 m, in the Himalayas ascending to 2500 m.
It is a tropical plant. Plants are sensitive to cold. It grows from sea level to 1,700 m above sea level. In Yunnan.
Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

The fruit are eaten. The tender young leaves are used as a vegetable. The root is eaten as a vegetable.
Uses animal food environmental use fuel material medicinal social use
Edible fruits leaves roots seeds shoots
Therapeutic use Wounds and injuries (bark), Anti-bacterial agents (flower), Antirheumatic agents (flower), Chest pain (flower), Pain (flower), Anticonvulsants (leaf), Antirheumatic agents (leaf), Antiviral agents (leaf), Contraceptive agents (leaf), Diabetes mellitus (leaf), Diarrhea (leaf), Digestive system diseases (leaf), Dysentery (leaf), Fractures, bone (leaf), Hypohidrosis (leaf), Parasympatholytics (leaf), Vertigo (leaf), Wounds and injuries (leaf), Cooling effect on body (leaf), Analgesics (root), Anthelmintics (root), Antirheumatic agents (root), Astringents (root), Colic (root), Diarrhea (root), Digestive system diseases (root), Dysentery (root), Expectorants (root), Fractures, bone (root), Hypohidrosis (root), Menstruation disturbances (root), Pain (root), Parasympatholytics (root), Skin diseases (root), Snake bites (root), Stomach diseases (root), Thirst (root), Ulcer (root), Wounds and injuries (root), Cooling effect on body (root), Headache (unspecified), Anodyne (unspecified), Boil (unspecified), Sting(Caterpillar) (unspecified), Colic (unspecified), Dermatosis (unspecified), Diarrhea (unspecified), Dysentery (unspecified), Eye (unspecified), Sudorific (unspecified), Vertigo (unspecified), Wart (unspecified), Antirheumatic agents (unspecified), Thirst (unspecified), Antiviral agents (whole plant)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seed or cuttings. Plants can be cut back and will regrow.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) 30 - 90
Germination temperacture (C°) 23 - 26
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment soaking
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Leea indica habit picture by Daniel Barthelemy (cc-by-nc)

Leaf

Leea indica leaf picture by Daniel Barthelemy (cc-by-nc)

Distribution

Leea indica world distribution map, present in Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bhutan, China, Congo (Democratic Republic of the), Fiji, Guam, Indonesia, India, Kenya, Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Sri Lanka, Latvia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Nepal, Philippines, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America, Viet Nam, and Vanuatu

Conservation status

Leea indica threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:870443-1
WFO ID wfo-0001145518
COL ID 3SWZR
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Leea heterophylla Leea sambucina Leea simplex Leea callosa Otillis zeylanica Aquilicia ottilis Aquilicia sambucina Staphylea indica Leea indica Aquilicia otillis Leea sundaica Leea pubescens Leea divaricata Leea celebica Leea umbraculifera Leea naumannii Leea roehrsiana Leea novoguineensis Leea ramosii Leea gracilis Leea expansa Leea ottilis Leea speciosa Leea viridiflora Leea sumatrana Leea biserrata Leea fuliginosa Leea palembanica Leea striata Leea nova-guineensis Leea sambucina var. sumatrana Leea sambucina var. biserrata Leea sundaica var. fuliginosa Leea sambucina var. heterophylla Leea sambucina var. robusta Leea sambucina var. simplex Leea sundaica var. pilosiuscula Leea sundaica var. subsessilis Leea sambucina var. occidentalis Leea sambucina var. roehrsiana Leea sambucifolia