NEW REPORT ZOOS' PRINT JOURNAL 19(9): 1622-1623 TINOSPORA SINENSIS (LOUR.) MERR. FROM SICKUPARA, KOLLI HILLS FOREST, NAMAKKAL DISTRICT, TAMIL NADU P.S. Udayan, Satheesh George, K.V. Tushar, and Indira Balachandran Centre for Medicinal Plants Research (CMPR), Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakkal, Malappuram District, Kerala 676503 Email: avscmpr@sify.com / avscmpr@yahoo.co.in Web supplement Manuscript 1180; Received 7 April 2004; Finally accepted 1 July 2004; © Zoo Outreach Organisation; www.zoosprint.org 1622 September 2004 Kolli Hill or Kollimalai is located near Rasipuram Taluk of Namakkal District in Tamil Nadu (11 0 10'-11 0 30'N & 78 0 15'-78 0 30'E, 1000-1400m). A small area of the eastern portion of these hills lies in the Perambalur District. The total Kollimalai area of 283km 2 is part of the Talaghat stretch and to the east lie the Patchamalai. A broad valley divides Kollimalai and Patchamalai. Kollimalai appears to be abruptly ascending from the plains on the western, eastern and southern sides and descending to the plains by numerous long and gently sloping spurs on the northern side. The maximum temperature ranges between 20 0 C and 30 0 C and minimum temperature between 10 0 C and 20 0 C. The average annual rainfall is around 1445mm. The soil type is deep to very deep and is non-calcareous. The topmost hill area is characterised by sandy-loam soil where as the bottom of the valley is characterised by alluvial and clayey-loam soil. The forest types range from evergreen to moist deciduous and dry deciduous. On the western side of the hills, good shola patches still exist, though a great portion of the plateau is cleared. Earlier studies on flora of Tamil Nadu do not record the occurence of this species in the state (Nair & Henry, 1983; Matthew, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1991, 1996, 1999; Pallithanam, 2001). The present survey conducted in the Kolli Hills resulted in the collection of 70 taxa of angiosperms. Out of these, Tinospora sinensis (Lour.) Merr. has not been reported in any of the previous publications on the flora of Tamil Nadu. It is enumerated here with updated nomenclature, brief description, phenological data, distribution, specimens examined and notes for better understanding of this taxon. The voucher specimens are deposited at the Centre for Medicinal Plants Research (CMPR), Kottakkal. Tinospora sinensis (Lour.) Merr. Tinospora sinensis (Lour.) Merr. in Sunyatsenia 1: 193. 1934 & Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. Philad. 24: 158. 1935; Forman, Kew Bull. 36: 1981; Ramesh in Sald., Fl. Karnataka 1: 101. 1984; Sasi. & Sivar., Fl. Plants of Thrissur Forests 39. 1996; Sivar. & Philip Mathew, Fl. Nilambur 51. 1997; A. Pramanik in Sharma et al., Fl. India 1: 349. 1993. Campylus sinensis Lour., Fl. Cochinch. 113. 1790. Menispermum malabaricum Lam., Encycl. Meth. 4: 96. 1797. Cocculus tomentosa Colebr. in Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 13: 56. 1872. T. malabarica (Lam.) Hook.f. & Thoms., Fl. Ind. 1: 183. 1855 & in Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 96. 1872. T. tomentosa (Colebr.) Hook.f. & Thoms., Fl. Ind. 1: 183. 1855 & in Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 96: 1872. (Menispermaceae) Malayalam name: Kattamrithu, Pothan amrithu. Specimen examined: 19.ii.04, Sickupara, Kolli Hills, ca.1400m, coll. P.S. Udayan et al., CMPR 02368 Distribution: India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. In India it occurs in Assam, Bihar, Orissa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and now reported for the first time from Tamil Nadu. Description: Large fleshy deciduous climber; mature stem shiny, bark papery. Young parts tomentose; latex light, yellowish, watery. Leaves broadly ovate to suborbicular, 5-16 x 4-12cm, membranous, sparingly pubescent above, pilose beneath with glandular patches at basal nerve axils, acutely acuminate at apex, abruptly truncate or cuneate or subcordate at base; lateral nerves 5-7 pairs; petioles 5-12cm long, puberulous, thickened at base. Flowers greenish-yellow, in racemes or panicles, axillary or from the old stem; panicles 3-12cm long, slender. Male flowers: pedicels 2-5mm long; sepals yellowish-green, glabrous; outer three ovate, 1-1.5mm long; inner three broadly elliptic, 3-5 x 2- 5mm; petals six, obliquely rhomboid-ovate, 3-4 x 1-3mm; stamens ca. 1.5-2mm long; anthers dehiscing longitudinally. Female flowers: carpels three, stigma flat, 2-lobed, staminodes six, clavate; gynophore ca. 1mm long. Drupes globose, 1-3, 10-13mm across, red, scarlet or orange red; carpophores 2-3mm long on 8- 10mm long peduncles; endocarp rugose, dorsally keeled and ventrally concave, 7-9 x 5-6mm, tuberculate (Image 1 w ). Habitat: Climbing on Ficus arnottiana and Schefflera stellata along the rocky valleys of mixed deciduous forests. Phenology: Flowering and Fruiting: February - June. Remarks: In India, four species of Tinospora are found. Out of this only two species are present in southern India, viz ., Tinospora cordifolia and T. sinensis. T. glabra occurs in Andaman Islands and T. crispa is found in northeastern region. This species can be easily recognised by the presence of puberulous hairs throughout the plant when young. The red listed status of this species is “Vulnerable” for Karnataka, “Lower Risk near Threatened” for Kerala and “Not evaluated” for Tamil Nadu. The Flora of India and all the published floras of Tamil Nadu do not make any mention of its occurrence in the state of Tamil Nadu. So, the present collection of this species is not only a new report to the Tamil Nadu but also an extension of distribution further towards the southern parts of the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh. Only two mature individuals were recorded from Kolli Hills. In Kerala it is fairly common in moist deciduous to semi-evergreen forests. Medicinal uses: Stems are used for treating piles, ulcerated wounds, liver complaints, chronic rheumatism and also as muscle relaxant. It is also used as a substitute for Tinospora cordifolia (Amrita). REFERENCES Matthew, K.M. (1981-1984). The Flora of Tamilnadu Carnatic, Vols.I- III. The Rapinat Herbarium, St. Joseph’s College, Thiruchirapalli. w See Image 1 in the web supplement at www.zoosprint.org