Fruit - Specimen details
| Catalogue Number: 49413 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Image | Plant Name | 107.00 ASCLEPIADACEAE Gymnema sylvestre | Entry Book Number | ||
| Artefact Name | Fruit | Vernacular Name | |||
| Iso Country | Not defined | TDWG Region | Not defined | ||
| Parts Held | Fruit | Geography Description | |||
| Uses | FruitUse: MEDICINES User: Not defined | TDWG use | MEDICINES | ||
| Storage | Bottles, boxes etc | Related Items | |||
| Donor | Pharm Soc GB | Donor No | 18 D 8 | ||
| Donor Date | Donor Notes | ||||
| Collector | Collector No | ||||
| Collection Notes | Collection Date | ||||
| Exhibition | Expedition | ||||
| Number Components | Publication | ||||
| Notes: | Label source: A shrubby climbing plant. Upper surface of leaves dark green, shining, under surface pale green; their shape varies from ovate-lanceolate to obovate; the venation is transverse and reticulate with a marginal vein; length between 4 and 5 inc, hes; tastes saltish and acrid. The root is about the size of the little finger or less, not unlike Hemidesmus; it has a tough central wood, and when fresh a soft spongy bark, which is reddish brown and fissured longitudinally; it looses much bulk in dryin, g and becomes loose and transversely fissured; the taste is acrid and saltish; the whole plant abounds in milky juice. Under the microscope the central woody portion of the root is seen to have a radiated structure and to be transversed by large vessels;, the extension of the meduallary rays into the bark is distinct; the latter is made up of a thin walled paranchyma, the cells of which contain much starch and tolerably numerous crystalline concretions. There are many laticiferous vessels especially towar, ds the inner part. The epidermis consists of several layers of flattened cells of a deep reddish brown colour. I am unable to confirm Mr Edgeworth's statement that chewing the plant destroys the power of the tongue to appreciate the taste of sugar. Sugar, taken into the mouth after chewing the fresh plant, more especially the root bark, has a saltish taste. The medicinally properties of Gymnema require investigation. | ||||