Moullava spicata

Description

• It is a robust woody climber, having recurved prickles on its branches.
• Leaves - compound, bipinnate, 23–30 cm long with 4 to 6 pairs of pinnae, each 7.5 to 12 cm long, and having 5 to 7 pairs of oblong, coriaceous and dark-green leaflets on each pinna. The main rachis is armed with prickles.
• Flowers - sessile in dense spicate racemes reaching 60 cm long; the rachis is grooved with soft hairs, armed with prickles.
• Corolla - has 5 petals, inserted on top of the calyx-tube, obovate-spathulate, dark orange. 1 cm long, doesn't open fully.
• Calyx : scarlet,
• Androecium : has 10 stamens.
• Fruit - a linear oblong pod, swollen above the seeds and constricted between them.
• Seeds - 3 to 4, oblong, hard, bony.

  Natural history

Uses

Local names

• English: Candy Corn plant
• Marathi: Wagati वागाटी, Wakeri वाकेरी
• Tamil: Okkadikkodi, Pulinakkagondai
• Kannada: ಗಜ್ಜಿಗಾಬಲ್ಲೀ Gajjigaballi