Hemidesmus indicus

• Botanical Name : Hemidesmus indicus (L.) R. Br. ex Schult
• Synonyms : Periploca indica L.
• Common Name : Indian Sarsaparilla, Anantvel, Uparsal, Usbo, Oosambo, Upalsari
• Plant Family : Asclepiadaceae
• Plant Form : Climbers
• Occurrence (Special Areas) : Indroda Park

About Hemidesmus indicus Plant :

• Habit : A perennial twiner, nodes thickened.
• Leaves : Opposite, elliptic oblong to linear-lanceolate, variegated with white above.
• Flowers :
  • Flowers in cymes, bracts ovate, calyx 5-lobed.
  • Corolla rotate, green outside, purple inside, lobes 5, valvate, corona of 5 scales.
  • Stamens 5, filaments distinct, ovary of 2 free carpels.
• Fruit : Follicles 2, straight.
• Flowering and Fruiting Time : Most part of the year.
• Significance :
  • Common everywhere in hedges.
  • The root is sweet, cooling, aphrodisiac, cures leprosy and skin diseases and used as sarsaparilla as a tonic purify blood.