Getonia

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids II
Ordo: Myrtales

Familia: Combretaceae
Subfamilia: Combretoideae
Tribus: Combreteae
Subtribus: Combretinae
Genus: Getonia
Species: G. floribunda
⧼Source(s) of checklist⧽:

Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Getonia in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 Nov 21. Reference page.

Name

Getonia Roxb. Pl. Coromandel 1: 61. (1798)

monotypic taxon

Synonyms

Homotypic
Calycopteris Lam., Tabl. Encycl. tome I(vol. 2): t. 357 (1793), nom. inval. nom. nud.
Calycopteris Lam. ex Poir., Encycl. [J. Lamarck & al.] Suppl. 2. 41 (1811), nom. illeg.

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Asie
China (Yunnan), Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, peninsular Malaysia (Langkawi Isl., Penang, Pahang), Andaman Isl., Myanmar [Burma] (Ayeyarwady, Kachin, Taninthayi, Yangon)

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Roxburgh, W. 1798. Plants of the Coast of Coromandel 1: 61. BHL

Links

Hassler, M. 2019. Getonia. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2019. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 October 25. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2019. Getonia in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 October 25. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Getonia. Published online. Accessed: October 25 2019.
Tropicos.org 2019. Getonia. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 October 25.

Vernacular names

Getonia is a monotypic genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Combretaceae.[1] Its native range is India, Assam to Peninsula Malaysia.[1]
Getonia floribunda, commonly known as ukshi, is a large climbing shrub which is 5–10 m long, with vines that are about 5–10 cm in diameter, the stem and leaves are said to have medicinal properties. Ukshi is found extensively in the low-lying tropical evergreen forests of the Western Ghats, and rarely in Eastern Ghats of coastal Andhra. These are also found in "Kavus" or the Sacred Groves of Kerala. Commonly known as kokkarai in Hindi, Minnarakoti in Tamil, Adivijama, in Telugu. The plant is also grown in central and southern parts of India [2]

It bears grey bark and tenuous branches with thick fluff on the surface. The keratinous leaves, ovoid or oval, are 5–12 cm long. New branches are hairy and rust coloured. The flowers occur in dense clusters are the end of branches. The bracts of the small flowers are ovoid or oval, with thick fluffs on the surface. Petals are absent and the 10 stamens are arranged in 2 cycles.

The fruit inception bears 1 ventricle and 3 pendulous ovules inside. The fluffy sham-winged fruit, which is about 8 mm long, has 5 edges and 5 persistent calices which enlarges into the fluffy wing 10–14 mm in length. The sepals are prominent, hairy and green.
Uses

Ukshi is revered as a life-saver by the forest dwellers who regularly depend on this vine during summer when streams dry up. Sections of the vine store water, which people often use to quench their thirst.

The leaves are bitter, astringent, laxative, anthelmintic, depurative, diaphoretic and febrifuge. They are useful in intestinal worms, colic, leprosy, malarial fever, dysentery, ulcers and vomiting. The fruits are useful in jaundice, ulcers, pruritus and skin diseases.
References

"Getonia Roxb. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
Hepatoprotective Activity of Extracts from Stem of Calycopteris floribunda Lam. Against Carbon Tetrachloride Induced Toxicity in Rats M. Chinna Eswaraiah *, T. Satyanarayana