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Wild Betel Vine
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Wild Betel Vine
P Native Photo: Saroj Kasaju
Common name: Wild Betel Vine • Arunachal: Jangali pan
Botanical name: Piper betleoides    Family: 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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