Adenia cordifolia

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Adenia cordifolia

Description

Liana to 20(-50?) m. Leaves herbaceous to subcoriaceous, pale to glaucous green beneath, entire, broadly ovate to oblong, top obtuse to acute, up to 1 cm acuminate, base rounded to deeply cordate, 2½-10(-11) by 1½-6(-9) cm, 3-5-plinerved and with 2-10 pairs of lesser nerves from the midrib, arching towards the top; Inflorescences peduncled up to 5½ cm, in ♂ up to 60-flowered, in ♀ 3-5-flowered, tendrils 0-3, ½-2½ cm. Fruit 1-2, ellipsoid-oblong, fusiform, ± 3-angular, top acute, up to 1 cm acuminate, excluding the 5-10(-15) mm long gynophore (4½-)5-8(-9) by 1½-3½ cm; Seeds 10-30, orbicular to reniform, 7-8½ by 8-10 by 4-4½ mm, pitted;

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: Borneo present; Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia present); Philippines (Philippines present); Sumatera (Sumatera present), Palawan present, W. Java present
Malesia: Sumatra, Malay Peninsula, W. Java, Borneo, Philippines (Palawan: MERRILL 806, sterile). .

Uses

The roots and fruits are known as poisonous; leaves and stems have medicinal properties.
According to HEYNE the branches are resistant to humidity and therefore used as binding material under water.

Notes

Most records from the Philippines concern the related A. crassa.
Juvenile forms are often found creeping on open places, on tree trunks and rocks, and are provided with typical lobed or lunate leaves with more or less peltate blade-base; A. vespertilio is a juvenile from with lunate leaves.
Occasionally 4-merous ♂ flowers are found; once a ♀ flower with a 4-carpellate pistil; once a ♀ flower with 8 staminodes. A. quadrifida is based on a specimen in which part of the flowers have 4 calyx lobes.
Modecca cordifolia and M. obtusa date both from 1826. M. obtusa was listed first in the synonymy of A. cordifolia by KOORDERS, 1912.
Often galled flowers or slightly deformed flowers with an insect larva within are found.

Citation

STEEN. 1966 – In: Acta Bot. Neerl.: 41
Merr. 1929 – In: Un. Cal. Publ. Bot.: 210
Engl. 1925: 489, 492. – In: Nat. Pfl. Fam., ed. 2: f. 223
MASAM. 1942: En. Phan. Born.: 506
Engl. 1925 – In: Nat. Pfl. Fam., ed. 2: 490
MASAM. 1942: En. Phan. Born.: 506
HASSK. 1844: Cat. Hort. Bog.: 187
MASAM. 1942: En. Phan. Born.: 506
G. DON 1834 – In: Gen. Syst.: 59
Bl. 1837: p. 166. – In: Rumphia: t. 48 f. 1-10
G. DON 1834 – In: Gen. Syst.: 59
HALL.f. 1922 – In: Med. Rijks-herb.: 11
DC. 1828 – In: Prod.: 336
BACK. & BAKH.f. 1963 – In: Fl. Java: 289
HASSK. 1844: Cat. Hort. Bog.: 187
HEYNE 1927: Nutt. Pl.: 1142
HARMS 1893 – In: E. & P., Nat. Pfl. Fam. 3: 84
Ridl. 1938: Kew Bull.: 112
DC. 1828 – In: Prod.: 336
Merr. 1921: En. Born.: 413
Miq. 1855 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 702
Miq. 1855 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 702
HARMS 1925 – In: E. & P., Nat. Pfl. Fam., ed. 2, 21: 492
HALL.f. 1922 – In: Med. Rijksherb.: 11
CUSSET 1967 – In: Adansonia: 372, 383
Bl. 1837: p. 167. – In: Rumphia: t. 49 f. 1-7
BURK. 1935 – In: Dict.: 48
Koord. 1912 – In: Exk. Fl. Java: 637
Koord. 1912 – In: Exk. Fl. Java: 637
Ridl. 1922 – In: Fl. Mal. Pen.: 841
HARMS 1893: p. 84. – In: E. & P., Nat. Pfl. Fam. 3: f. 30 A-E
HEND. 1928 – In: Gard. Bull. S. S.: 264
Ridl. 1938: Kew Bull.: 112
MASAM. 1942: En. Phan. Born.: 506
DE WILDE 1971: Thesis: 232: f. 34, 36