Leea indica (Vitaceae) : an important medicinal plant of Simlipal Biosphere Reserve Forest, Odisha, India.

Sanjeet Kumar
sanjeet.biotech@gmail.com

Fruits of Leea indica

Vitaceae is a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants including the grapevine and Virginia creeper. The family name is derived from the genus Vitis. The name sometimes appears as Vitidaceae, but Vitaceae is a conserved name and therefore has priority over both Vitidaceae and another name sometimes found in the older literature, Ampelidaceae. The relationships of Vitaceae are unclear and the family does not appear to have any close relatives. In the Cronquist system, the family was placed near the family Rhamnaceae in order Rhamnales. The family was placed in the Rosid clade, but not classified in an order, by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG). APG III (2009) places Vitaceae in its own order, Vitales. Phylogenetic analyses support Vitaceae as the sister-group to all other rosids (Jansen et al. 2006).

Most Vitis species have 38 chromosomes (n=19), but 40 (n=20) in subgenus Muscadinia, while Ampelocissus, Parthenocissus, and Ampelopsis also have 40 chromosomes (n=20) and Cissus has 24 chromosomes (n=12). the family is economically important as grapes (Vitis species) are an important fruit crop and, when fermented, produce wine. Species of the genus Tetrastigma serve as hosts to parasitic plants in the family Rafflesiaceae. Leea, sometimes classified in its own family, Leeaceae, is included in Vitaceae by the APG and the Angiosperm Phylogeny Web.

Genera in Vitaceae

·         Acareosperma

·         Ampelocissus

·         Ampelopsis

·         Cayratia

·         Cissus

·         Clematicissus

·         Cyphostemma

·         Leea

·         Parthenocissus

·         Psedera

·         Rhoicissus

·         Tetrastigma

·         Vitis

·         Yua

Leea is a genus of plants that are distributed throughout Northern and eastern Australia, New Guinea, South and Southeast Asia and parts of Africa. Leea contains approximately 70 species and is placed in the Vitaceae family. The APG II system places Leea in the subfamily Leeoideae (Vitaceae). Leea is often placed in its own family, Leeaceae, based on morphological differences between it and Vitaceae. These differences include ovule number per locule (two in Vitaceae and one in Leeaceae), carpel number (two in Vitaceae and three in Leeaceae), and the absence or presence of a staminoidal tube (present in Leeaceae) and floral disc (present in Vitaceae). Pollen structure has also been examined for taxonomic demarcation, though studies have concluded that the pollen of Leeaceae and Vitaceae suggests the families should remain separate while other studies conclude that Leea should be included in Vitaceae. The genus was named by Linnaeus after James Lee, the Scottish nurseryman based in Hammersmith, London who introduced many new plant discoveries to England at the end of the 18th century.

Leea indica:

Joranda Fall, Simlipal biosphere reserve

It is common undergrowth in secondary and disturbed evergreen forests. It is found in Indomalaysia, Indochina, Australia and Pacific Islands; in the Western_Ghats- through out. It is also found in India to Indo-China, the Malay Peninsula, Java, Sumatra, and Borneo. It is a shrub with straight branches. The leaves are double compound or triple compound, 90-120 cm long. The leaflets are extremely variable in size and shape. The flowers are greenish-white. The fruit is small. The pinnately compound leaves are large and spirally arranged, with a terminal leaflet. The leaflets are large and toothed. The leaf stalk is swollen and often sheathed at the base. The flowers are small, greenish or yellowish and arranged in large, flat-topped cymes about 35 cm wide. The berries are also arranged in flat-top clusters and turn from purplish to black when ripe.

Common name: Bandicoot Berry • Hindi: Kukur jihwa • Manipuri: Koknal • Marathi: Karkani • Tamil: Nalava, Ottannalam • Malayalam: Nakku • Telugu: Amkador • Kannada: Gadhapatri • Bengali: Kurkur • Assamese: Ahina • Sanskrit: Chatri

Leea indica as medicine:

A decoction of the root is given in colic, is cooling and relieves thirst. In Goa, the root is much used in diarrheal and chronic dysentery. The roasted leaves are applied to the head in vertigo. The juice of the young leaves is a digestive.
Plant pacifies vitiated pitta, diarrhea, dysentery, colic, ulcers, skin diseases, and vertigo.
Useful part: Root, Leaves. The root and leaves of Leea indica are used in medicinal formulations. Ayurveda and Unani  doctors also use Leea indica in their preparations. Herbal practitioners consider it as a  natural coolant that gives a “cooling effect” to the body. During summer it is one of the  natural coolants that quench the feeling of thirst.

                                                                                       Many tribal communities have been using Leea indica for treatment of diarrhoeal diseases.  It is also used in cases of chronic dysentery. Other medicinal uses include skin  ailments, gastric ulcers, vertigo (a severe form of dizziness) and digestive issue. For relief from colic (sudden, abrupt pain), herbal doctors prescribe decoction obtained  from the root of Leea indica. A few drops of juice obtained from the fresh leaves of Leea indica sets the digestive  system right. Herbal doctors recommend external application of a little quantity of juice of Leea  indica leaves on the head for relief from severe forms of dizziness.

Source: From Literature