A climber that is strong enough to pull a chariot

CHENNAI: Many of us are familiar with the various growth patterns of plants such as herbs, shrubs, climber and trees. But the word Liana doesn’t ring a bell for most of us. Liana is nothing but a huge climber with woody stem that usually reaches atop trees to get access to well-lit areas of the forest. Liana is a special type of habit that is also indispensable for the forest ecosystem. Gnetum ula Brongn.

is one such liana of gymnosperms, belonging to the family Gnetaceae. G. ula, and is found almost throughout the Western Ghats and along the coastal regions of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. It is known as Nokte in Tulu. G. ula is a woody climber with branches that are dichotomous. This climber is said to be strong enough to pull a chariot.

The nodes are distinctly swollen, while the bark is thick and brown. The leaves are opposite, elliptic-ovate, 6-15 cm long and 4-8 cm broad, with smooth surfaces and 6-8 pairs of primary nerves. Flowering is seen during February-March; fruits are borne in May and June. Flowers are unisexual, arranged in spike-like male and female cones distinctly; cones with many whorls bracts that ultimately transform in to involucral collars where the flowers are actually borne.

Fruits are drupes, about 3 x 2 cm, ovoid, mimics green grapes when unripe, later turning reddish-orange while ripening. The fruits of G. ula are edible. Fried seeds mixed with grated dry coconut are eaten by the local communities. The dry coconut is said to help alleviate the Ushna Prakruti of the Nokte’ seeds. The seeds are filled inside ‘rasa bale’ fruit (a variety of banana) to get relief from hook worms. This species has been included in the IUCN’s Red List category, to conserve rest of its populations from endangerment.