Indian sarsaparilla

Hemidesmus indicus

''Hemidesmus indicus'', Indian sarsaparilla, is a species of plant found in South Asia. It occurs over the greater part of India, from the upper Gangetic plain eastwards to Assam and in some places in central, western and South India.

The root is a substitute for sarsaparilla . It should be distinguished from Mexican Sarsaparilla ''Smilax'' ''aristolochiifolia'' Mill. and Jamaican Sarsaparilla ''Smilax ornata'' Hook.f..
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Appearance

It is a slender, twining, sometimes prostrate or semi-erect climber. Roots are woody and aromatic. The stem is numerous, slender, terete, thickened at the nodes. The leaves are opposite, short-petioled, very variable, elliptic-oblong to linear-lanceolate. The flowers are greenish outside, purplish inside, crowded in sub-sessile axillary cymes.

Uses

''Hemidesmus indicus'' is used to make beverages like nannari sharbat, and is used in traditional medicine.

In southern states of India , the pickled roots are served along with rice dishes.

References:

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Taxonomy
KingdomPlantae
DivisionAngiosperms
ClassEudicots
OrderGentianales
FamilyApocynaceae
GenusHemidesmus
SpeciesH. indicus
Photographed in
India