Strychnos wallichiana Steudel ex DC. (LOGANIACEAE)
Common names
Kannada: Balli kasaraka.
Malayalam: Valli-kanjira.
Tamil: Valli-kanjiram.
Description: Large woody climbers; tendrils bi-fid. Leaves ovate or elliptic, up to15 x 5 cm, rounded at base, acute or acuminate at apex, shining. Basal nerves 3; petioles up to 7 mm long. Flowers in terminal cymes, from old wood. Calyx lobes 5. Corolla lobes 5. There are five stamens with short filaments. The ovary is two-locular, with a short style and a capitate stigma. The fruit is a smooth, globose berry, approximately 10 cm across, turning yellow when ripe. It contains 3-4 flat seeds.
Flowering & Fruiting : January – May.
Distribution: India: Common in evergreen and semi-evergreen forests of Western Ghats. Sri Lanka.
Uses: Decoction of roots used in rheumatism, ulcers, elephantiasis, fever and epilepsy.
