Flora of Manipur: Gnetum montanum

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R. Vijayasankar

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Jul 6, 2010, 10:47:01 PM7/6/10
to indiatreepix, Flowers of India
Gnetum montanum (Gnetaceae), a woody liana belinging Gymnosperm group, commonly found in Manipur forests. Ripe 'fruits' are attractively coloured, perhaps eaten by birds.

With regards

R. Vijayasankar
gnetum montanum_1.JPG
gnetum montanum_2.JPG

tanay bose

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Jul 7, 2010, 12:01:39 AM7/7/10
to R. Vijayasankar, indiatreepix, Flowers of India
Gnetum montanum Markgraf, Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sér. 3. 10: 406. 1930.

Vines to more than 10 m tall; branchlets orbicular or compressed orbicular in cross section, smooth, sometimes wrinkled longitudinally. Petiole 0.8-1.5 cm; leaf blade usually oblong, sometimes oblong-lanceolate or elliptic, 10-25 × 4-11 cm, leathery or nearly so, lateral veins 8-13 on each side, base rounded or broadly cuneate, apex obtuse to acute. Male inflorescences lax, once or twice branched, 2.5-6 cm; peduncle 6-12 mm; male spikes 2-3 cm × 2.5-3 mm, involucral collars 13-18, each collar with (20-)25-45 flowers plus 10-15 sterile female flowers, basal hairs forming a dense, short cushion. Female inflorescences lateral, solitary or fascicled, main axis thin, with 3 or 4 pairs of branches; peduncle 2-3 cm; female spikes 2-3 cm × ca. 4 mm, enlarging to ca. 10 cm when mature, nodes each with 5-8 female flowers, basal hairs sparse, short. Seeds yellowish brown or reddish brown, cylindric-ovoid or cylindric, (1-)1.2-1.5(-2) cm × 6.5-9(-12) mm, 1.6-1.85 × as long as wide, base rounded, sometimes contracted into a stipe to 3(-5) mm, outer coat smooth or ± longitudinally wrinkled when dried, sometimes covered with silvery scales. Pollination Apr-Jun, seed maturity Aug-Oct.


The fibers from the bark of the stem are used in making gunny bags, fishing nets, and ropes; the seeds yield an edible oil, are eaten fried, and are used for making wine; the sap is used as a cold drink.

Illustration: http://www.efloras.org/object_page.aspx?object_id=1370&flora_id=2

Tanay




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Tanay Bose
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Rashida Atthar

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Jul 8, 2010, 9:35:03 AM7/8/10
to tanay bose, R. Vijayasankar, indiatreepix, Flowers of India
Thank you Dr. Viajayasankar ji for these wonderful pictures. Gnetum 's 'fruits' are all pulpy, does any other Gymnosperm have such pulpy seeds?  

regards,
Rashida.

Smilax004

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Jul 9, 2010, 1:55:20 AM7/9/10
to efloraofindia
I don't think that Gnetum fruits are pulpy rather the mesocarp is
filled with very fine fibers. If you try to chew or handle you get all
the "spiny" fibers on your mouth/body. But I have seen Hornbills and
Barbets eats the fruits but no post dispersal predations is noticed so
far in my observations.

Regards
Giby




On Jul 8, 6:35 pm, Rashida Atthar <atthar.rash...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Thank you Dr. Viajayasankar ji for these wonderful pictures. Gnetum 's
> 'fruits' are all pulpy, does any other Gymnosperm have such pulpy seeds?
>
> regards,
> Rashida.
>
>
>
> On Wed, Jul 7, 2010 at 9:31 AM, tanay bose <tanaybos...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > *Gnetum montanum* Markgraf, Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sér. 3. 10: 406.
> > 1930.
>
> >   Vines to more than 10 m tall; branchlets orbicular or compressed
> > orbicular in cross section, smooth, sometimes wrinkled longitudinally.
> > Petiole 0.8-1.5 cm; leaf blade usually oblong, sometimes oblong-lanceolate
> > or elliptic, 10-25 × 4-11 cm, leathery or nearly so, lateral veins 8-13 on
> > each side, base rounded or broadly cuneate, apex obtuse to acute. Male
> > inflorescences lax, once or twice branched, 2.5-6 cm; peduncle 6-12 mm; male
> > spikes 2-3 cm × 2.5-3 mm, involucral collars 13-18, each collar with
> > (20-)25-45 flowers plus 10-15 sterile female flowers, basal hairs forming a
> > dense, short cushion. Female inflorescences lateral, solitary or fascicled,
> > main axis thin, with 3 or 4 pairs of branches; peduncle 2-3 cm; female
> > spikes 2-3 cm × ca. 4 mm, enlarging to ca. 10 cm when mature, nodes each
> > with 5-8 female flowers, basal hairs sparse, short. Seeds yellowish brown or
> > reddish brown, cylindric-ovoid or cylindric, (1-)1.2-1.5(-2) cm × 6.5-9(-12)
> > mm, 1.6-1.85 × as long as wide, base rounded, sometimes contracted into a
> > stipe to 3(-5) mm, outer coat smooth or ± longitudinally wrinkled when
> > dried, sometimes covered with silvery scales. Pollination Apr-Jun, seed
> > maturity Aug-Oct.
>
> > The fibers from the bark of the stem are used in making gunny bags, fishing
> > nets, and ropes; the seeds yield an edible oil, are eaten fried, and are
> > used for making wine; the sap is used as a cold drink.
>
> > *Illustration:
> >http://www.efloras.org/object_page.aspx?object_id=1370&flora_id=2*
>
> > *Tanay
> > *
>
> > On Wed, Jul 7, 2010 at 8:17 AM, R. Vijayasankar <vijay.botan...@gmail.com>wrote:
>
> >> *Gnetum montanum *(Gnetaceae), a woody liana belinging Gymnosperm group,
> >> commonly found in Manipur forests. Ripe 'fruits' are attractively coloured,
> >> perhaps eaten by birds.
>
> >> With regards
>
> >> R. Vijayasankar
>
> >> --
> >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> >> "efloraofindia" group.
> >> To post to this group, send email to indian...@googlegroups.com.
> >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
> >> indiantreepi...@googlegroups.com<indiantreepix%2Bunsubscribe@goog legroups.com>
> >> .
> >> For more options, visit this group at
> >>http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix?hl=en.
>
> > --
> > Tanay Bose
> > +91(033) 25550676 (Resi)
> > 9830439691(Mobile)
>
> >  --
> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> > "efloraofindia" group.
> > To post to this group, send email to indian...@googlegroups.com.
> > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
> > indiantreepi...@googlegroups.com<indiantreepix%2Bunsubscribe@goog legroups.com>
> > .

Rashida Atthar

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Jul 9, 2010, 4:53:35 AM7/9/10
to Smilax004, efloraofindia
Thanks for sharing your observations Giby ji. I have not seen the fruiting at all so my inference is only from the pictures.  But my question is does this kind of look of the seeds of Gynosperm occur in other species of Gymnosperms or  is it unique to Gnetum species only?  

regards,
Rashida.

Saroj Kumar Kasaju

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Oct 9, 2024, 4:40:42 AM10/9/24
to efloraindia, J.M. Garg, Dinesh Valke, Tabish
Nepali Name :  भोटे लहरा  Bhote Laharaa

Thank you
Saroj Kasaju
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