Thanks for the informative posts. Dr Satish Phadke
On 13 October 2014 20:48, Vijayasankar <vijay.botan...@gmail.com> wrote: > *General description * > *of Menispermaceae (moonseed family)* > > > *Habit: *Usually climbers, twiners or scandent shrubs. > > > *Leaves:* Simple, alternate, entire or lobed, palmi-nerved, exstipulate. > Leaves are typically more or less subpeltate, with the insertion of the > petiole being scarcely in from the margin of the lamina, but a few taxa are > strongly peltate. The petiole is pulvinate at both ends. > > > *Flowers:* Small, solitary or in fascicles/cymes/racemes, dioecious; > sepals usually 6, free, in 2-4 series; petals 6 (rarely absent), free or > connate. Male flowers: stamens usually one opposite each petal; anthers > 2-celled. Female flowers: staminodes 6 or 0; ovaries usually 3 (rarely 1 or > 6-12); style terminal, simple or divided; ovules usually solitary. > > > *Fruits: *Drupes, with the style-scar subterminal or subbasal. > > > *Seeds: *Usually hooked or reniform, often curved round an intrusion of > the endocarp. > > > > *Key features:* Members of the family Menispermaceae show extensive > variation in most of their morphological traits. However, the main feature > historically used to define the family is the curved seed found in many of > the genera, hence the common name “moonseed” family. Concomitant with the > curving of the seed is the curving of the embryo. Additionally, the > endocarp is variously ornamented and provides important taxonomic > characters for distinguishing between and within genera. > > > > *Properties:* Several members of the family are known for their medicinal > and toxic properties. Most species contain alkaloids which have similar > effects to the paralysing hunting poisons curare, and berberine. These > alkaloids also have medicinal value. Plants from the genera *Stephania *and > *Tinospora *feature in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. > > > References: > > 1. Hooker, J. D. (1885) Flora of British India. Vol. 1. Reprint by Bishen > Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehra Dun. > > 2. Pramanik, A. & Gangopadhyay, M. (1993) Menispermaceae. In: Sharma, > B.D. et al. (eds) Flora of India, Botanical Survey of India. Vol. 1. Deep > Printers, New Delhi. > > 3. http://delta-intkey.com/angio/www/menisper.htm > > Regards > > Vijayasankar > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > Vijayasankar Raman, Ph.D. > National Center for Natural Products Research > University of Mississippi > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "efloraofindia" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to indiantreepix+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to indiantreepix@googlegroups.com. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to indiantreepix+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to indiantreepix@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
