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Orange Climber
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Orange Climber
ative Photo: Prashant Awale
Common name: Orange Climber, forest pepper, wild orange tree • Bengali: জংলি মরিচ janglee marich, কাঁটা টোডালি kanta todalli • Garo: nachi wagum • Hindi: जंगली कालीमिर्च jangali kalimirch • Jaintia: saryng khlam • Kannada: ದೊಡ್ಡ ಕಾಡು ಮೆಣಸು Dodda kadu menasu, ಇಳಿಶಿಂಗಿ Ilishingi • Khasi: soh sat • Malayalam: കാക്കത്തുടലി kakkattutali • Marathi: दहन dahan, जंगली काळी मिरची jungli kali mirchi, रान मिरवेल ran mirvel • Nepali: मैन्-काँड़ा main kanra • Odia: ହାଇମରିଚା hai maricha, ତୁଣ୍ଡ ପୋଡ଼ା tunda porda • Sanskrit: दहन dahana, काञ्चनः kancanah, तीक्ष्णक्षः tiksnaksah • Tamil: காட்டுமிளகு kattu-milaku, கிச்சிலிக்கரணை kiccili-k-karanai, மிளகுகரணை milaku-karanai, முளகரணை mulakaranai • Telugu: కొండకసింద kondakasinda, మిరపకాండ్ర mirapa-kandra • Mizo: Nghardai • Tangkhul: Nayong komla Source: Names of Plants in India
Botanical name: Toddalia asiatica    Family: Rutaceae (Lemon family)
Synonyms: Toddalia nitida, Toddalia aculeata, Cranzia asiatica

Orange Climber is a liana with woody, corky, thorny stems that climb on trees, reaching up to 10 m in length. It has shiny green lemon-scented leaves, creamish white flowers. Sepals are 0.3-0.5 mm. Petals ovate to elliptic, 1-3.5 mm. Stamens in male flowers are 3-4 mm, whereas in female flowers they are ligulate and only 0.2-0.8 mm. Disk is 0.2-0.5 mm. Gynoecium in female flowers ovoid to ellipsoid and 1.5-2.5 mm, in male flowers subcylindric and 1-2 mm. Fruits are orange about half a cm wide that taste like orange peel. The seeds are dispersed by birds and monkeys that eat the fruits. In particular, the Scaly-breasted Munia prefers to nest in these trees.
Medicinal uses: The plant is used medicinally by many African peoples, including the Maasai, who use it for malaria, cough, and influenza. The roots contain coumarins that have antiplasmodial activity. Extracts of the plant have demonstrated antiviral activity against H1N1 influenza in the laboratory.

Identification credit: Shrikant Ingalhalikar, Jacob de Vlas Photographed in Karnataka.

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