Common Name: Large petal caper. Tamil Name: Sirumul athodai
Large petal caper is commonly found in dry and deciduous slopes of Western Ghats and grows to a height of about 1.5 meters. The plant is seen in road-sides of Anaikatti forest road and Maruthamali road in Coimbatore district. The plant is pubescent and has paired recurved spines, the plant is scrambling shrub which expands side-ways. The leaves are simple and arranged in an alternate manner. The leaf stalk and leaf length measure around 4 mm and 1.8 cm respectively. The leaves are elliptical-ovate in shape; leaf base is rounded and apex acute. The leaves are light green in color and hairy on both surfaces; the central leaf vein is exposed on the lower surface. The flowers are axillary and single; petals white in color. The flower has four petals which are obovate in shape, glabrous and measure around 2.5 cm in length. The calyx has four sepals which are boat shaped. The sepals are unequal; two of them are small and pale green in color; while the other pair is dark green in color and slightly bigger. The flower has more than 65 stamens which have white filaments; the anther portion is bluish in color. The gynophore measure around 2.2 cm; they become yellow in color as the flower ages. The fruit is in the form of an ellipsoid beaked berry and turn red in color when mature. The plant spreads itself through root eruptions. The plant juice is used to heal cuts and wounds and to treat fever. Large petal caper can be deployed as a self-propagating hedge plant.
