font settings and languages

Font Size: Large | Normal | Small
Font Face: Verdana | Geneva | Georgia
Languages:

ZipcodeZoo.com needs to raise another $12,000 in donations by January 1 to continue operation in 2009.
If we cannot meet this goal, this site will go offline January 1. Please click here to donate

Hiptage benghalensis

(Helicopter Flower)

Overview

[ Back to top ]

A woody climber from S.E. Asia clusters of pink to white and yellow fragrant flowers and 3-winged , helicopter-like fruits. Used medicinally in India.

Common Names

[ Back to top ]

Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in English:

Helicopter Flower, Hiptage

Common Names in French:

Liane De Cerf

Common Names in German:

Benghalen-Liane

Common Names in Gujrati:

Madhavi, Ragotpiti

Common Names in Hindi:

Atimukta, Kampti, Madhalata, Madmalati

Common Names in Kanarese:

Adimurtte, Adirganti, Madhavi, Vasantduti

Common Names in Malayalam:

Haldavel, Madhumalati

Common Names in Sanskrit:

Chandravalli, Kamuka

Description

[ Back to top ]

Family Malpighiaceae

The Malpighiaceae are trees and lianous shrubs comprising about 60 genera and 1,200 species that are further characterized by the presence of often reddish, medifixed or variously branched hairs . The leaves are simple , usually opposite, and frequently have paired glands on the petiole or base of the blade ; stipules are usually present. The flowers are mostly bisexual and are actinomorphic or weakly zygomorphic. The perianth typically consists of two whorls with 5 distinct segments in each. One or more of the sepals usually have one or more conspicuous glands. The petals are usually clawed and the limb is typically fringed or toothed . The androecium consists of usually 10 distinct or basally connate stamens in two whorls but some or half of them are commonly reduced to staminodes. The gynoecium consists of a single compound pistil of almost always 3 carpels, 3 distinct styles, and a superior ovary with 3 locules, each containing a single pendulous, axile ovule. The fruit is variable. -- Gerald Carr.

Physical Description

Species Hiptage benghalensis

Shrubs or lianas, 3-10 m or more; branchlets and inflorescences densely yellowish brown or silver-gray pubescent ; branches glabrate , ferruginous-red or dark gray, with light- colored lenticels . Petiole 5-10 mm, canaliculate adaxially; leaf blade leathery, oblong , elliptic-oblong, or ovate-lanceolate, 9-18 × 3-7 cm, young leaves light red, pubescent, old leaves green, glabrous , base broadly cuneate or rounded , abaxially often with 2 glands , apex acuminate; lateral veins 6 or 7 pairs. Racemes axillary or terminal , 5-10 cm, inflorescence yellowish brown pubescent, glabrate; pedicels articulate at middle or distally; bracteoles subulate-lanceolate. Flowers very fragrant. Sepals broadly elliptic or ovate , 5-6 mm, apex rounded, densely yellow-brown pubescent; gland thick, large, oblong, ca. 1/2 adnate on pedicel. Petals white, base yellow maculate , or yellowish or pink, orbicular or broadly elliptic, 8-15 × 5-10 mm, pubescent, apex rounded, base clawed, margin fimbriate. Stamens differing in size, longest 8-12 mm, others 3-5 mm; anthers elliptic, 1-2 mm. Style ca. 12 mm, circinate . Samara body shortly sericeous , wings glabrous, abaxial wing elliptic or obovate-lanceolate, 3.5-5(-7) × 1-1.6 cm, apex entire or retuse , lateral wings lanceolate-oblong, 1.5-3 cm, base of wing with 1 triangular-crested appendage . Fl. Feb-Apr, fr. Apr-May. [source]

Flowers: Flower Color: near white, white, yellow

Habitat

Dense forests , sparse forests, shrub forests of valleys, riverbanks, field margins , roadsides; (100-)200-1900 m (Ref. 101263).

Biology

[ Back to top ]

Growth

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade.

Taxonomy

[ Back to top ]

Unambiguous Synonyms

  1. Hiptage benghalensis (L.) Kurz

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Place of publication : J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Pt . 2, Nat. Hist. 43(2):136. 1874

Name verified on 21-Aug-1996 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 21-Aug-1996

Similar Species

[ Back to top ]

Members of the genus Hiptage

There are approximately 78 species in this genus:

H. acuminata · H. arborea · H. beccariana · H. bengalensis · H. benghalensis (Helicopter Flower) · H. benghalensis candicans · H. benghalensis subsp. candicans · H. benghalensis var. cochinchinensis · H. benghalensis var. longifolia · H. benghalensis var. rothinii · H. benghalensis var. tonkinensis · H. boniana · H. brachybotrys · H. bullata · H. burkilliana · H. calcicola · H. calycina · H. candicans · H. capillipes · H. cebuensis · H. condita · H. corymbifera · H. cumingii · H. curranii · H. cuspidata · H. detergens · H. elliptica · H. fraxinifolia · H. glabrifolia · H. gracilis · H. harmandiana · H. henryana · H. jacobsii · H. javanica · H. lanceolata · H. laurifolia · H. lawsonii · H. leptophylla · H. lohcri · H. lucida · H. luodianensis · H. luzonica · H. macrocarpa · H. macroptera · H. madablota · H. malaiensis · H. marginata · H. mekongensis · H. microcarpa · H. minor · H. monopteryx · H. multiflora · H. myrtifolia · H. myrtilia · H. nayarii · H. obtusifolia · H. parviflora · H. parvifolia · H. pinnata · H. platyptera · H. poilanei · H. pubescens · H. puicherrima · H. racemosa · H. reticulata · H. sericea · H. stellulifera · H. subglabra · H. sumatrsma · H. tetraptera · H. teysmannii · H. thothathrii · H. tianyangensis · H. triacantha · H. trialata · H. umbellulifera · H. vidalii · H. yunnanensis

Bibliography

[ Back to top ]

More Info

[ Back to top ]

Notes

[ Back to top ]

Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal December 04, 2007:

Identifiers

Last Revised: 2008-11-03