Common Name: Birdfoot grape-vine. Tamil Name: Pannikkodi, Kattu pirandai.
Birdfoot grape-vine is native to South India and is a large tendril based climber with ridged stem. The entire plant is pubescent. The distance between leafing nodes are large at around 15 cm. The leaves are arranged in an alternate manner. The leaf consists sometimes around 9 leaflets. The main axis divides into two sets of four leaflets arranged on either sides; the leaf axis then ends in a single leaf. The leaflet margin is dentate and wavy. The leaflets are elliptic in shape. The inflorescence is in the form of a closely packed flat axillary cyme. The calyx is green in color with four lobes. The flowers are very tiny and greenish in color and measure around 2-3 mm each. The flower has a central disk which is white in color. The fruit is in the form of a berry and measure around 9 mm in diameter. The fruits are initially green in color, when mature become glassy white in color. The pulpy fruit contain four seeds. The entire plant is much valued in traditional Indian systems of medicine. The plant is listed as ‘vulnerable’ because of rampant unsustainable harvesting in the wild.
