Amantamul / Creeping Cucumber
Solena amplexicaulis
- Habit
- Climber
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra & more
- Flowering
- April-January
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Solena amplexicaulis
- Genus
- Solena
- Family
- Cucurbitaceae
- Habit
- Climber
- Habitat
- Deciduous forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- India
- Distribution
- India, Afghanistan, Himalayas, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Indo-China, SW.China, Taiwan, Malesia, Australia
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh
- Flowering & fruiting
- April-January
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- AlternaterecordedOne leaf per node, arranged in a spiral or zigzag up the stem.“The branched stem is hairless and bears slender curling tendrils and alternate leaves with slender stalks up to 1 cm (0.4 in) long.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf shape
- OvaterecordedEgg-shaped, broader near the base.“The leaf blades are leathery, ovate to oblong with heart-shaped bases and pointed tips.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf margin
- Clasping-stemrecorded
- Leaf surface
- GlabrousrecordedSmooth, hairless.“The branched stem is hairless and bears slender curling tendrils and alternate leaves with slender stalks up to 1 cm (0.4 in) long.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Amantamul itself; the rest are typical of the Cucurbitaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Yellowrecorded
- Flower arrangement
- UmbelrecordedFlower stalks all radiate from a single point, like umbrella ribs.“the male flowers are small and grow in short-stalked umbels of ten to twenty flowers, each with a tubular calyx from which the triangular petal tips protrude.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Solitary
- Fruit
- Berry
Characters marked “recorded” are for Amantamul itself; the rest are typical of the Cucurbitaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- अमन्तमूल Amantamul, तरली Tarali
- Tamil
- புளிவஞ்சி Pulivanci, கற்கோவை புளிவஞ்சி
- Kannada
- Karagala
- Malayalam
- ഞെരിഞ്ഞാമ്പുളി Nerinnampuli, ഞെരിഞ്ഞൻപുളി, Solena amplexicaulis
- Marathi
- गोमेटी Gometi, गोमेटी
About Amantamul
Creeping Cucumber (Solena amplexicaulis) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, where it grows as a climber. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra and 11 other states. It grows in deciduous forests. Flowering and fruiting run from April to January.
Uses
In practice it is grown for parts that are eaten and long used in traditional medicine. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice. Parts of this plant are reported as poisonous — treat it as unsafe to eat and wash your hands after handling.
Cucurbitaceae
Cucumber/Gourd family
Amantamul belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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