Common Name: Wild Tantan. Tamil Name: Velli masal
Wild tanta is a small shrub native to South America, it has been naturalized in India and many other countries. The plant grows to a height of about 2 feet, branches are square shaped with a rough feel and the stem looks grooved. The plant has bipinnate leaf arrangement. The leaves are arranged in an alternate manner; the pinna is arranged in an opposite manner. The leaf has 4 sets of pinna. Each pinna consists of around 14-15 pairs of leaflets. The leaflets are sessile; oblong in shape; with a notched tip and a truncate base. The leaflets measure around 9 mm. At the base of the first pair of pinna there is a reddish gland. The inflorescence is an axillary flower head; consists of 11-12 flowers. The flower stalk measure around 2.1 cm in length. The filaments of the flower are cream to white in color. The fruit is in the form of a pod. The pods are seen crowded around on axis. The pods are rust colored and bear many flowers. Wild tanta is a valuable fodder plant and can fix nitrogen in soil. Very commonly seen in fallow lands and road sides in Coimbatore district of Tamilnadu. Wild Tantan cannot be uprooted easily, they keep growing at the same spot. Wild Tantan is a potential invasive.
