Operculina turpethum

Nomenclature

Accepted name/Authority/Place of publication: 

Operculina turpethum (L.) S. Manso, Enum. Subst. Bras. 16. 1836.

Synonyms: 

Convolvulus turpethum L., Sp. Pl. 155. 1753. TYPE. Ceylon. herb. Hermann 2: 68 (lectotype BM; isolectotype U).


Argyreia alulata Miquel

Convolvulus anceps L.

Ipomoea anceps (L.) Roemer & Schultes

Ipomoea turpethum (L.) R. Brown, Prodr. 485. 1810.


I. turpethum var. anceps (L.) Miq.

I. turpethum var. anceps (L.) Miq.

Operculina turpethum (L.) S. Manso var. heterophylla Hallier f.

Spiranthera turpethum (L.) Bojer 

Merremia turpethum (L.) Rendle, Fl. Trop. Afr. 4(2): 102. 1905. 

Operculina triquetra (Vahl) Hallier f., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 18: 120. 1893; Macbride, Field Mus. Natl. Hist., Bot. Ser. 13(5/1): 480. 1959, superfluous combination.

Convolvulus triqueter Vahl, Symb. Bot. 3: 30. 1793. TYPE. St. Croix. West in herb. Vahl (holotype C).

Description

Habit: 
Herbs perennial. Roots fleshy, long, much branched. Stems reddish, to 4 m, narrowly 3–5-winged, ± angular, glabrous or densely pilose-tomentose on young parts.
Leaves: 
Petiole 2–10 cm, often winged; leaf blade highly variable: cordate-circular, ovate, broadly ovate, ovate-lanceolate, or lanceolate, 4–14 × 3.5–14 cm, abaxial surface pubescent, adaxial surface appressed pilose to glabrous, base cordate, truncate or obtuse, margin entire or undulate, apex acute or acuminate, mucronulate.
Inflorescences: 
Inflorescences cymose, often 2-flowered; peduncles 5–30 mm, usually terete; bracts 2, oblong to ovate-oblong, 1–2.5 cm, concave, pubescent. Pedicel 1.5–2 cm, striate-angular, clavate, to 4 cm in fruit.
Flowers: 
Sepals ovate to broadly ovate, unequal; outer 2 sepals 1.5–2 cm, abaxial surface pubescent; inner 3 sepals shorter, nearly glabrous. Corolla white, sometimes with a yellowish base inside, broadly funnelform, 3.5–4 cm, glabrous, minutely yellowish glandular outside; limb 5-lobed. Filaments pubescent basally; anthers twisted.
Fruits: 
Fruit enclosed in cup-shaped calyx, depressed globose, ca. 1.5 cm in diam.
Seeds: 
Seeds dull black, ovoid-trigonous, ca. 6 mm,
Author: 
Fang R.C. & G. Staples
References: 

Fang R.C., G. Staples, et al. 1995. Convolvulaceae in P. Raven & C.Y. Wu (eds.) Flora of China 16: 271–325.

Cytology

Chromosome number: 
30
Author: 
Fang R.C. & G. Staples
References: 

Fang R.C., G. Staples, et al. 1995. Convolvulaceae in P. Raven & C.Y. Wu (eds.) Flora of China 16: 271–325.

Biogeography, Ecology and Natural History

Distribution Map: 
Distribution: 

China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Taiwan, S Yunnan), ?Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan (Ryukyu Islands Islands), ?Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, ?Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; E Africa, Australia, introduced in the West Indies, Pacific Islands.

Ecology: 

China: Stream
banks, roadsides, grassy fields, wasteland, dry slopes, clay and sandy soils,
scrub bordering valleys; 0–500 m. 

Thailand: Often in disturbed
habitats near human habitation: abandoned fields, roadsides, vacant lots, hedge
rows, also in scrub jungle, open forest, grassy plains, and stream banks;
altitude: 75–500 m.

Phenology: 

Flw., frt. year round. 

Author: 
Fang R.C. & G. Staples
References: 

Fang R.C., G. Staples, et al. 1995. Convolvulaceae in P. Raven & C.Y. Wu (eds.) Flora of China 16: 271–325.

Staples, G. 2010. Convolvulaceae. Fl. Thailand 10(3): 330–468.

Other information

Common names and uses: 
he guo teng (Chinese). The leaves and roots are used medicinally. Chingcho liam, chingcho daeng (Thai). The roots of this species have been used for centuries to extract a purgative used medicinally, and the historic trade in this commodity is no doubt partly responsible for the contemporary geographic distribution of O. turpethum. Austin (Econ. Bot. 36: 265–269. 1982) has traced the historic dispersal routes for this species by humans, who surely are responsible for transporting it to many of the places it is found today, though the medicinal use has largely disappeared.

Authorship for webpage

Editor: 
George Staples, Esmond Er
Contributors: 
Classification: 
Operculina turpethum
Wed, 2011-09-21 03:57 -- Esmond
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