Anantamul / Indian Sarasaparilla
Hemidesmus indicus var. pubescens
Also known as False Sarsaparilla, Country Sarasaparilla
- Habit
- Climber
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu
- Flowering
- February-March
How to identify Anantamul
Identify Anantamul by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a climber habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Hairy (pubescent) leaves, aromatic roots.
- Confirm leaf shape: Narrow lance/sword-shaped.
- Confirm flower colour: Maroon/dark purple.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: February-March.
- In India, compare location records such as Tamil Nadu.
- Confirm it sits within the Asclepiadaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Anantamul.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Hemidesmus indicus var. pubescens
- Genus
- Hemidesmus
- Family
- Asclepiadaceae
- Habit
- Climber
- Habitat
- Dry deciduous forests and scrubjungles
- Distribution
- India
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu
- Flowering & fruiting
- February-March
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- Narrow lance/sword-shapedrecorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Opposite
Characters marked “recorded” are for Anantamul itself; the rest are typical of the Asclepiadaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Maroon/dark purplerecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Follicle
Characters marked “recorded” are for Anantamul itself; the rest are typical of the Asclepiadaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- अनंतमूल Anantamul, दूधली Dudhli
- Tamil
- Nannari, Sugandipala
- Telugu
- Suganda pala
- Kannada
- ಸುಗಂಧ ಹಾಲಿನ ಗಿಡ Sugandha haalina gida, ಸೊಗದೆ Sogade, ನನ್ನಾರಿ Nannaari ಸುಗಂಧಿ Sugandhi
- Malayalam
- Narunenti
- Marathi
- अनंतवेल Anant vel
About Anantamul
A member of the Asclepiadaceae family, Indian Sarasaparilla (Hemidesmus indicus var. pubescens) is a climber. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu. It grows in dry deciduous forests and scrubjungles. Flowering and fruiting run from February to March.
Asclepiadaceae
Milkweed Family
Anantamul belongs to the Asclepiadaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Asclepiadaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
All plant problem & care guides