Common name: Wild Betel Vine • Arunachal: Jangali pan
Botanical name:Piper betleoidesFamily:Piperaceae (Pepper family) Synonyms: Piper betleoides var. glabrifolium
Wild Betel Vine is a climbing shrub, with stems weakly
striped when dry, hairless or minutely finely velvet-hairy. Leaves are
membranous, lower ones broadly ovate-heart-shaped, upper ones ovate to
ovate lanceshaped, 9-17 x 4-7.5 cm, tapering, base strongly asymmetric,
unequally cojrdateon both sides, 5-veined at base, with 2-3 further
veins arising 1.5 2.5cm above base. Male flowers are borne in spikes
4.5-6 x 0.2-0.3 cm, on slender flower-cluster-stalks 2.5-3.5 cm, bracts
peltate, short-stalked, stamens protruding beyond bracts, anther cells
erect on short stout filments. Female spikes are 2.5-3.5 cm, on slender
flower-cluster-stalks 2-4cm, stigmas 4-5. Fruiting spikes are swollen,
8-10 mm broad. Wild Betel Vine is endemic to NE India (Sikkim,
Kalimpong, Arunachal Pradesh) and Bhutan.
Identification credit: Saroj Kasaju
Photographed in Kalimpong, West Bengal.
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The flower labeled Wild Betel Vine is ...