Description

Paper Flower Climber commonly known as ukshi, is a large climbing shrub which is 5–10 m long, with vines that are about 5–10 cm in diameter, the stem and leaves are said to have medicinal properties. Ukshi is found extensively in the low-lying tropical evergreen forests of the Western Ghats, and rarely in Eastern Ghats of coastal Andhra. These are also found in "Kavus" or the Scared groves of Kerala. Commonly known as kokkarai in Hindi, Minnarakoti in Tamil, Adivijama, in Telugu. The plant is also grown in central and southern parts of India.

Characteristics:

Paper Flower Climber is a large Climbing shrubs; young stem densely brown velvet-hairy. Leaves are 4-9 x 2-3 cm, ovate to elliptic, base rounded, tip pointed or tapering-caudate, densely velvet-hairy on both sides, more below, puncatate; leaf-stalk to 1 cm long. Flowers are borne in dense racemes in leaf-axils, crowded in dense panicles at top of branches. Bracts are leafy, 0.6-1.2 x 0.3-0.4 cm. Sepal-tube is 4-5 mm long; sepals 5, up to 5 mm long elliptic cream coloured, velvety, accrescent. Petals are absent. Stamens are 10, 5+5 in two rows. Ovary is inferior, 3-4 mm long, 1-celled; ovules 3, drooping; stigma simple. The fluffy sham-winged fruit, which is about 8 mm long, has 5 edges and 5 persistent sepals which enlarge into the fluffy aliform with 1.0-1.4 cm in length. Hairy and green sepals are prominent. Paper Flower Climber is revered as a life-saver by the forest dwellers who regularly depend on this vine during summer when streams dry up. Sections of the vine store water, which people often use to quench their thirst.

Medicinal Uses:

The leaves are bitter, astringent, laxative, anthelmintic, depurative, diaphoretic and febrifuge. They are useful in intestinal worms, colic, leprosy, malarial fever, dysentery, ulcers and vomiting. The fruits are useful in jaundice, ulcers, pruritus and skin diseases.