Combretum indicum (L.) DeFilipps

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Morphology General Habit

Liana.

Conservation

Not Evaluated.

Distribution

Cultivated in Colombia.

Ecology

Alt. 250 - 1000 m.

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 250 - 1000 m.; Islas Caribeñas, Llanura del Caribe, Orinoquia, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.

Morphology General Habit

Liana

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular

albicia, amor al día, carácter, carácter de hombre, carácter de los hombres, carácter del hombre, genio, variedad, variedades

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

Combretaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:1. 1954

Morphology General Habit

Scandent shrub

Ecology

Often on river banks

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals often white outside and red inside, or white and turning red first on the outside, later turning entirely red

Note

Commonly cultivated.

Combretaceae, G. E. Wickens. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1973

Morphology General Habit

Woody climber; young branchlets tomentose to sparsely pubescent, rarely sparsely glandular.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves opposite or subopposite; lamina papyraceous, elliptic or oblong-elliptic, 8–14.5 cm. long, 3.5–9 cm. wide, apex acuminate or subcaudate, base rounded or subcordate, tomentose to nearly glabrous, minutely verruculose; lateral nerves 5–7 pairs, domatia sometimes present; petiole up to 10 mm. long, the base sometimes persisting and forming a spine.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence terminal and axillary spikes 2–5(–10) cm. long, sometimes forming a leafy panicle; bracts lanceolate-acuminate or elliptic, 6–10 mm. long, 1–3 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers fragrant.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle

Lower receptacle 3–4 mm. long, pubescent to sericeous-tomentose; upper receptacle narrowly tubular, expanding slightly at the apex, 6–8 cm. long, tomentose to pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals triangular, 1–3 mm. long, acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals imbricate in bud, white becoming dark red on the inner face, enlarging at anthesis, oblong to oblong-obovate, up to 25 mm. long, 13 mm. wide, apex acute (in the Flora area) orobtuse, shortly clawed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamen-filaments 7–8 mm. long; anthers 0.9 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style with upper part free for 10–20 mm.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit (from West African material) ovate-elliptic in outline, 2.5–4 cm. long, 0.75–1.25 cm. wide, appressed pubescent to glabrous; wings 1–2 mm. wide, stout; stipe 0.5–1 mm. long.

Habitat

Acacia bushland, Brachystegia woodland, hillslopes and along stream banks; 900–1350 m.

Distribution

reputed to be a native of Asia, but probably also native in tropical Africa, now widely cultivated in the tropics, often naturalized T5 T6 T7

Use Materials

Materials (State of the World's Plants 2016).

Use Materials Unspecified Materials Chemicals

Materials (State of the World's Plants 2016).

Use Medicines Unspecified Medicinal Disorders

Medicinal (State of the World's Plants 2016).

Use Poisons

Poisons (State of the World's Plants 2016).