Morphological information

An evergreen climber with spreading stems often forming dense masses and attaining up to 12 m high and 20 mm diameter. Bark pale brown, rough, exfoliating in loose fibrous strips. Leaves mostly fascicled on arrested branches, trifoliate. Petiole usually 2.5- 5 cm long, sometimes less. Leaflets variable, 3.8- 12.7 by 0.7- 3 cm, entire or more or less deeply 3-   lobed, sometimes to the base very membranous, usually lanceolate or linear lanceolate, acute, glabrous, glossy beneath. Flowers greenish, on axillary fascicled, slender, drooping peduncles 2.5- 6.3 cm long. Sepals 15- 18 mm long, erect, densely silky-pubescent outside. Filaments glabrous, pink. Anthers lilac. Peduncles with two connate membranous green bracts forming a cup about 6mm below the flower (12- 20 mm below the fruit) sometimes enlarged foliacioius, achenes hairy; style exceeding 2.5 cm.

Flowering                       : June-October

Fruiting                          : August-December

History                          :

Parts                             : Leaves.

Status                           : Low risk.

Phytochemistry

 A new triterpenic saponin- clemontanoside A-  isolated from leaves and its structure determined (Phytochemistry 1989, 28, 2511); isolation of pentacosaine, ocatcosanone, friedelin, β-amyrin, oleanolic acid, β- sitosterol and its glucoside from leaves and stems (Fitoterapia 1989, 60, 477; ibid. 1993, 64, 472); isolation and structure elucidation of a new saponin- clemontanoside B- from leaves (Int. 3. Crude Drug Res. 1990, 28, 39); two saponins isolated and characterized as 3- 0- β-  ribopyranosyl (1- 3)- α  -rhamnosyl(1_2)α -arabinopyranoside- 28- 0- α -L -rhamnopyranosyI(1- 4)- α- D- glucosyl(1- 6)- β- D  glucopyrosnoside and 3- 0- ribopyranosyl (1- 3)- α- L- rhamnosyl (1- 2) -α- L-arabinopyranoside of hederagenin (Int. 3. Crude Drug Res. 1990, 28, 125); another saponin- clemontanoside C- isolated from stem and characterized as hederagenin- 3- 0- α-L- arabinopyranoside and hederagenin -3- 0- α- L- rhamnopyranosyl (1- 2) -α- L-arabinopyranoside and hederagenin  -3- 0- α- L- rhamnopyranosyl (1- 2) -α- L-arabinopyranoside also isolated (Phytochemistry 1993, 33, 671); isolation and structure determination of a new triterpenic bisglycoside clemontanoside F- from roots (Phytochemistry l993, 34861).

 

Traditional

Its fresh roots are crushed and tightened in a clean cotton cloth and heated over an oven for two minutes. During this process, strong fume is produced, the inhalation of which through nose relieves sinus. (Nepali System).

 

Medicinal       :    Leaves are said to act deleteriously on the skin.

 

   

---