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Cynanchum callialatum

Cynanchum callialatum Buch.-Ham. ex Wight, Contr. Bot. India 56 1834. (Syn: Cyathella callialata (Buch.-Ham. ex Wight) C.Y.Wu & D.Z.Li; Cynanchum angustifolium Wight & Arn. [Illegitimate]; Cynanchum heyneanum Schult.; Cynoctonum angustifolium Decne.; Cynoctonum callialata (Buch.-Ham. ex Wight) Decne.; Periploca reticulata Roth (Unresolved); Vincetoxicum callialatum (Buch.-Ham. ex Wight) Kuntze);
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sigh-NAN-kum or sigh-NANG-kum — Greek: kyon (dog); anchein (to choke or strangle); refers to the historical toxic qualities of several European species within this genus that were observed to poison animals … compiled from the web
kal-ee-uh-LAY-tum — Greek: calli / kallos (beauty / beautiful); Latin: alatum (wing / winged); refers to the aesthetically distinct, wing-like structural borders found on the plant’s mature seed pods (follicles) … compiled from the web
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commonly known as: pretty-wing swallow-wort • Marathi: चमचम chumchum • Odia: କୁରଭାରୀ kurvari, ସର୍ପକାଟାନାଗଡ଼ା sarpakatanagada

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Images by Satish Phadke (Inserted by J.M.Garg) (For more photos & complete details, click on the links)

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Cynachum%20callialata2.jpg

 

Cynanchum callialata: Mulshi near Pune: I found this Asclepiadaceae climber in Sep 2012 on road towards Lavasa.
After carefully observing the pictures I think this is Cynanchum callialata.
Ref FOS By Shrikantji.
Tall climber with opposite leaves. Flowers tiny(Less than a cm) in umbellate cymes.
It was a surprise for me when members visiting VOF were showing different Cynanchum species. I could find this one from Western ghats

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Flora Picture of The Year 2012 : Dr. Satish Phadke:
Cyananchum callialatum
I get fascinated by the radial symmetry and the geometry present in flowers of most of the species of Asclepiadaceae.
It was a joy for me when I came across this species in Mulshi area on way to Lavasa .
It is a climber with tiny flowers of less than a cm.
I could find the ID from the book Flowers of Sahyadri. I posted the pictures on the group when VOF week was going on in full swing.
On searching the Efloraofindia I was surprised to know that this species was not shared by anybody so far.
I was disappointed that nobody took notice of the post.
Presenting my Flora Picture of The Year 2013.
Cyananchum callialatum

Its very beautiful flora pic of d year n me glad that u found this beauty near Pune area, thanks fo sharing such innovative plant 🙂

Very very beautiful flora pic, …
This species seems to very close to Cynanchum tunicatum … from the descriptions we can gather that C. callialatum has 2-winged follicle while C. tunicatum is not winged.
Slightly weaker difference is that C. tunicatum is fewer flowered per umbel.
Had a tough time to identify my Cynanchum plant sighted at base of Koraigad on 15 OCT 10 and 06 OCT 12 … I would perhaps need to post a query for validating ID my plant.
… – there is an inadvertent typo in your post – Cyananchum.
You may edit the typos by editing them in the database.

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Ascalpidiace or Apocynace id from Bangladesh _sm_3002 : 4 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (1) – 2 Mb.
Habitat : sandy bush
Location : Saint Martin Island, Bangladesh
Flowering : November
Photo taken : Nov, 2018

Apocynaceae?

Pl. check comparative images at Apocynaceae

Closest I can reach is some Cynanchum species as per comparative images.

Agreed, …

But, species level identification is difficult. because of data conflict !!! for example –
I will go with Cynanchum callialatum
Leaves appears to be quite variable as per GBIF specimens from India.
CoL treats Cynanchum tunicatum (Retz.) Alston as a syn. of Vincetoxicum callialatum (Buchanan-Hamilton ex Wight) Kuntze (syn: Cynanchum callialatum Buch.-Ham. ex Wight)
However, POWO treats them as different with only, Cynanchum callialatum Buch.-Ham. ex Wight having distribution in Bangladesh. 

Thanks for the update, Sir ji.
However, there is another species in Bangladesh, in which leaves are more cordate – http://apps.kew.org/herbcat/getImage.do?imageBarcode=K000894620

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Cirsium wallichii var. nepalensis (DC.) Karthik. & Moorthy: 2 images.
Location : Aizawl, Mizoram

Altitude : ca. 1,000 m
Date : 30-08-2024
Habit : Climber
Habitat : Wild

Cynanchum callialatum Buch.-Ham. ex Wight

What are the species reported from your area?

Sorry ! C.calliatum is not yet reported in Mizoram. Only Cynachum wallichii is recorded in The Flora of Mizoram.

Flower peduncle, pedicles and vein arrangement of leaves of Cynanchum wallichii look different from posted images as per GBIF specimens (one, two, three).

Since the border is adjoined to Myanmar, could it be a new sp. for Mizo ?

On checking all th enlisted species listed in Flora of India, in POWO, the following may be available in the region:
Cynanchum corymbosum Wight
Vincetoxicum deltoideum Kuntze
Cynanchum wallichii Wight

But it does not seem to match with any other above.
I also checked other closer genera, but it seems closest to Cynanchum only.
Closest it appears to be Cynanchum callialatum as per
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/gallery?taxon_key=8081162
https://efloraofindia.com/2012/10/27/cynanchum-callialatum/
Plant illustration
Also POWO shows distribution in the surrounding areas.

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Cynanchum tunicatum (Retz.) Alston from Assam KD 09 Nov 24: 4 images- 2 high res. images.
Attached images appear to be Cynanchum tunicatum (Retz.) Alston from Assam. Please validate.Date : 22.11.24
Location: ASSAM
Family : Apocynaceae
Genus & species : Cynanchum tunicatum (Retz.) Alston
Habit :  Climbing shrub 

Yes.

POWO doesn’t give its distribution over there.
But appears close as per images ta
https://efloraofindia.com/2011/02/23/cynanchum-tunicatum/
Is its distribution mentioned anywhere in Assam?

I had uploaded the identical specimen to this group in 2013 (https://groups.google.com/g/indiantreepix/c/8ZQ ) and it was identified as Cynanchum tunicatum. Now I have newly collected this specimen from same locality and also made observation. Here I upload a photo plate of dissected plant parts of same specimen based on the fresh material for easy identification. From my observation I identified this specimen as Cynanchum callialatum. So please validate.

You may be right as per
https://efloraofindia.com/efi/cynanchum-callialatum/

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Names of Plants in India :: Cynanchum callialatum Buch.-Ham. ex Wight: 1 image.
Cynanchum callialatum Buch.-Ham. ex Wight

sigh-NAN-kum or sigh-NANG-kum — Greek: kyon (dog); anchein (to choke or strangle); refers to the historical toxic qualities of several European species within this genus that were observed to poison animals … compiled from the web
kal-ee-uh-LAY-tum — Greek: calli / kallos (beauty / beautiful); Latin: alatum (wing / winged); refers to the aesthetically distinct, wing-like structural borders found on the plant’s mature seed pods (follicles) … compiled from the web
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commonly known as: pretty-wing swallow-wort • Marathi: चमचम chumchum • Odia: କୁରଭାରୀ kurvari, ସର୍ପକାଟାନାଗଡ଼ା sarpakatanagada

known for / parts made use of: roots, leaves, whole plant

botanical names: Cynanchum callialatum Buch.-Ham. ex Wight … homotypic synonyms: Vincetoxicum callialata (Buch.-Ham. ex Wight) Kuntze … heterotypic synonyms: Cynoctonum angustifolium Decne. … and more at POWO, retrieved August 25, 2026

Bibliography / etymology / notes

Links listed as references in the notes below, may not remain valid permanently. Portals / websites have a tendency to re-organize / revise their content, leading to change in URLs of pages in their site. Some sites may even close down at their own will. The bits about the languages of India mentioned below are merely some bare facts gathered from the internet; just enough to satisfy curiosity about “where” could the listed names be best prevalent in India. All English transliterated names to be taken sensu amplo.

~~~~~ ENGLISH ~~~~~
written and spoken widely, in most parts of India
pretty-wing swallow-wort
  • Flowers of India … (accessed: August 25, 2026)
  • The term Swallow-wort is a historic, centuries-old English name traditionally assigned to plants within the milkweed subfamily (Asclepiadoideae). Old European folklore held that ancient swallows used the milky sap (wort meaning medicinal plant/herb) of related species to heal the eyes of their blind fledglings. … compiled from the web.
  • Because the Cynanchum genus contains nearly 300 diverse species globally, the prefix “Pretty-Wing” was deliberately coined to match its Latin epithet, callialatum (“beautifully winged”). It serves as an instant field-identification marker, drawing attention to the aesthetically distinct, twin-winged margins structure running along the apex of its mature, lance-shaped seed pods. … compiled from the web.
~~~~~ MARATHI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (मराठी) … spoken in: Maharashtra, Karnataka
चमचम chumchum
  • Flowers of Sahyadri by Shrikant Ingalhalikar, the first among the three field guides to identify plants of northern Western Ghats of India, based on flowers
~~~~~ ODIA ~~~~~
written in: Odia (ଓଡ଼ିଆ) … spoken in: Odisha, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
କୁରଭାରୀ kurvari, ସର୍ପକାଟାନାଗଡ଼ା sarpakatanagada
  • Sankara Rao, K., Deepak Kumar (2026). India Flora Online. … (accessed: August 25, 2026)
  • କୁରଭାରୀ (Kurvari) — From the regional Odia Kur (derived from the Sanskrit Ankur, meaning sprout or newborn root) + Bhari (heavy/laden); altogether referencing the plant’s dense, heavily clumping root shoots and vigorous climbing habit. … compiled from the web.
  • ସର୍ପକାଟାନାଗଡ଼ା (Sarpakatanagada) — ସର୍ପ (Sarpa): Meaning snake or serpent. କାଟା (Kata): Meaning to cut, bite, or neutralize. ନାଗଡ଼ା (Nagada): Often associated locally with tubers, roots, or dense forest areas (from Nag or Gada meaning root/fort). This compound name strongly indicates the plant’s ethnomedicinal history. In Odisha’s traditional tribal medicine, local forest communities routinely use plants named with the Sarpa– prefix to treat snakebites or neutralise venomous bites (Sarpa-kata), solidifying its status as an important regional healing plant. … compiled from the web.

FIRST-TIME NATIVE SCRIPT DOCUMENTATION

Major digital repositories and official botanical indices (such as the India Flora Online database, Gamble’s Flora of the Presidency of Madras, or regional State Flora volumes) traditionally document local plant names exclusively using Roman-script transliterations.

The native-script renderings displayed on this page represent original linguistic mapping to bridge this archival gap. Because these specific native-script forms are indexed here for the first time, a standard web search for these exact characters will not yield external results. This documentation serves as a novel reference point for regional researchers and digital botanical indexing.

~~~~~ KNOWN DISTRIBUTION in INDIA ~~~~~
Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Tamil Nadu
~~~~~ Created on: 19:49 25-08-2026 ¦ Last updated: 12:07 26-08-2026 (DD-MM-YYYY) ~~~~~

This plant is distributed in Kerala. If ever you get to know of Malayalam name, I will be glad to add it to the compilation.

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Cynanchum%20tunicatum-%20Panchali%202.jpg
/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Cynanchum%20tunicatum-%20Panchali%201.jpg

Cynanchum tunicatum flowering:
Was at my bungalow in Khandala yesterday. Panchali was flowering. Sending a few photographs.

I checked the photograph in flowers of India ( link: http://www.flowersofindia.Coated0Swallow-Wort). The plant photographed and identified by  ….  looks different. I do not know any thing about this plant. One of you may clarify as to which is correct or any eco-typic variation exists

This climber was identifed by Dr.Almeida from photographs of a previous years flowering

…, there should be no difference.
… plant has twined around an armed shrub.
The difference in leaves among plants in mine and … photographs are due to their ages.
Here are all the views of Cynanchum tunicatum at my flickr photostream:
http://www.flickr.com/search/m=tags
Flowers do not show any difference.
This said, others may validate my point.This appears to beC. callialatum as per keys in book link at
https://indiaflora-ces.iisc.ac.in/herbsheet.php?id=3365&cat=13
https://indiaflora-ces.iisc.ac.in/herbsheet.php?id=3370&cat=13

This appears to be C. callialatum as per keys in book link at
https://indiaflora-ces.iisc.ac.in/herbsheet.php?id=3365&cat=13
https://indiaflora-ces.iisc.ac.in/herbsheet.php?id=3370&cat=13

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/2._Myriopteron_extensum__Wight___Arn.__K._Schum_-_Habit_IMG_4669.jpg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/1._Myriopteron_extensum__Wight___Arn.__K._Schum_IMG_4670.jpg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/6._Myriopteron_extensum__Wight___Arn.__K._Schum_-_Leaf_IMG_4687.jpg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/10._Myriopteron_extensum__Wight___Arn.__K._Schum_-_Fruit_IMG_4675-4.jpg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/3._Myriopteron_extensum__Wight___Arn.__K._Schum_-_Habit_IMG_4679.jpg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/7._Myriopteron_extensum__Wight___Arn.__K._Schum_-_Flower_IMG_4672.jpg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/4._Myriopteron_extensum__Wight___Arn.__K._Schum_-_Habit_IMG_4680.jpg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/9._Myriopteron_extensum__Wight___Arn.__K._Schum_-_Flower___fruit_IMG_4686.jpg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/8._Myriopteron_extensum__Wight___Arn.__K._Schum_-_Flower_IMG_4677.jpg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/5._Myriopteron_extensum__Wight___Arn.__K._Schum_IMG_4671.jpg
Myriopteron extensum (Wight & Arn.) K. Schum from Assam :  Attachments (10). 9 posts by 4 authors.
Attached images may be Myriopteron extensum (Wight & Arn.) K. Schum. Please validate. 
Date :17.11.2013
Location: Assam
Family : Apocynaceae
Genus & species : Myriopteron extensum (Wight & Arn.) K. Schum.
Habitat: Grows wild
Habit : Climber (Liana)
Fruits :Follicle

Looks similar to Cyanachum species.

I would rather go with Cynanchum tunicatum. (For the first set of photographs.) I may be wrong though

This appears to be C. callialatum as per keys in book link at
https://indiaflora-ces.iisc.ac.in/herbsheet.php?id=3365&cat=13
https://indiaflora-ces.iisc.ac.in/herbsheet.php?id=3370&cat=13

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217 ID wild plant: 14 images.

Please ID wild plant,
Location: near Reserve Forest, Chathamattom, Ernakulam District, (Kochi) Kerala PIN:686671
Altitude: 1400fsl
Flower date: 05.12.2021, 01.45pm
Habitat: wild moisture
Plant habit: climbing, twining, branches, slender weak stem 02mm diameter, latex, annual
Height: 05 feet
Leaves: opposite, heart shaped, apex, size:11×6cm or less
Flower: racemose, diameter: 11 mm, lite green, good fragrance
Fruit:
Seed:
Camera: mobile Samsung Galaxy A21s

Check with Leptadenia …. Leptadenia reticulata,

No, flowers and leaves are mismatching

Please check this screen shot,

Maybe Tylophora or Cynanchum (more likely), but could not find a match as per comparative images herein.

Thank you very much dear …, for the ID suggestion of my plant. It is very close to Cynanchum tunicatum,

Yes, you are right as per images and details at Cynanchum tunicatum
Leaves seem a bit variable while having a look.

This appears to be C. callialatum as per keys in book link at
https://indiaflora-ces.iisc.ac.in/herbsheet.php?id=3365&cat=13
https://indiaflora-ces.iisc.ac.in/herbsheet.php?id=3370&cat=13

.

References:
Updated on September 11, 2026

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