Utleria salicifolia Bedd. ex Hook. f.

Utleria salicifolia belonging to family Apocynaceae is a deciduous shrub with milky latex commonly known as Mahali kizhangu in Malayalam. The tuberous roots of this plant have pleasant smell and bead like structures. Utleria leaves are crowded and seen towards the apex of the branches with reddish petiole and narrow lanceolate leaves with wavy margins. Flowers greenish yellow in long peduncled lax axillary cymes with purplish flowers and divaricate spindle shaped fruits. The species is assessed as IUCN Critically Endangered (CR) which is found only in few locations in southwestern Ghats. The tubers are used for medicine and are also edible. Green Ahalia has initiated ex situ conservation of this plant and is growing them in our RET garden Sanketham.

For more information: greenahalia@ahhkv.org