Indian jalap
Operculina turpethum
Also known as Terpeth root
About Indian jalap
Operculina turpethum (syn. Ipomoea turpethum) is a species of plant in the morning glory family, known commonly as turpeth, fue vao, and St. Thomas lidpod. It is large, robust, perennial, herbaceous, and hairy vine growing 4 to 5 meters in length. It is found in India, in the North Circars and Deccan region up to 3000 ft, East Africa, Papua New Guinea and Australia in both Queensland and the Northern Territory of Australia, near Shoal Bay and Maria Island. The leaves are alternate, very variable in shape, ovate, oblong and truncate or cordate at the base approximately 5.5–15 cm long. Its flowers are white, large, axillary, and solitary. The fruit is a capsule up to 1.5 cm in diametre, with conspicuous enlarged sepals and thickened pedicles.
Description adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Operculina turpethum
- Genus
- Operculina
- Family
- CONVOLVULACEAE
- Habit
- Climber
- Habitat
- Degraded forest areas, also in moist localities in plains Key identification features : Flowers opens after 9 am, enveloped in a woody calyx
- Distribution
- Old World tropics, introdued to Caribbean
- Flowering & fruiting
- October-March
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Local Names
- Hindi
- निशोथ Nisoth, निशोधि Nishodhi, nisoth
- Nepali
- निसोथ Nisoth
- Bengali
- দুধকলমি
- Tamil
- கும்பஞ்சான் Kumpncan, சரளம் Caralam, சிவதை Chivatai
- Telugu
- తెగడ Tegada, త్రివృత్ తెల్లతెగ Trivrut Tellatega, తెగడ
- Kannada
- Aalutigade, Alutigade, Bilenagadanti
- Malayalam
- Chivaka, Rochani, Sarala
- Marathi
- Nasottar
Convolvulaceae
Morning glory family
Indian jalap belongs to the Convolvulaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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