39. Tinospora crispa, Miers.

The medicinal plant Tinospora crispa is a member of the Menispermaceae (moonseed) family. This page includes its habitat, botanical descption, medicinal uses (eg., Ayurveda), chemical constituents and history of use in modern and ancient India.

Index in Flora of British India (Hooker): 1. 96.

Synonyms:— Menispermum verrucosum. Hm. Rox. Fl. Ind.

Vernacular:—Titha-Kinda (Sinhalese).

Habitat:—From Sylhet and Assam to the Eastern Peninsula. Ceylon.

Botanical description:—Stem widely climbing and twining, strongly warted.

Leaves: 4-5 in., broadly orbicular-cordate, suddenly acuminate, 7-veined, glabrous on both sides, thin.

Petioles: 3 4 in., thickened and twisted at base, smooth.

Flowers: ⅙ in. long, green, campanulate, 1-3 together, on very slender pedicels, in the axils of fleshy, small persistent bracts, rather distantly arranged in slender pendent spicate racemes or panicles 4-6 in. long from axils of old leaves. Male-flowers:—stamens adnate to base of petals. Female-flowers:—Anthers, square, stamens adnate to the base of the petals.

Drupe: elliptic, oblong, 1 in. long, size of an olive, pale-yellow.

Properties and Uses:—Possesses the bitterness and probably the tonic properties of gulancha (Ph Ind.)