Decalepis hamiltonii - Swallow-Root

Swallow-Root is an endemic and endangered plant of Andhra Pradesh. It grows in between the rocks and places where there is thick vegetation. Milky latex is present in the entire plant. Each root is 5-10 cm in diameter and 4-10 roots arise from the rootstock. A 2-3 year old plant produce 15-20 kg of roots and one year old plant produces 1-2 kg of roots. It is a climbing shrubs, with branchlets jointed. Leaves are up to 6 x 4.5 cm, obovate-elliptic or circular, tip blunt, base wedge-shaped, membranous. Leaf-stalks are up to 1.5 cm. Flower are borne in cymes trichotomously branched. Calyx deeply 5 lobed, 2 mm, oblong. Flower-tube is 1 mm, petals 3 x 2 mm, oblong, recurved, white pubescent inside; corona of 10 scales, alternately long hooked and short; filaments 1 mm, anthers attached to style apex; ovaries 1 mm. Seedpods are cylindrical oblong, in pairs, woody when dry. Seeds are many, egg shaped with long white silky hairs. Swallow-Root is found in Peninsular India.