Diamond Burbark

This species is not common in our area as suggested by Parker (l.c.). It is confused with Triumfetta pentandra A. Rich, which it resembles in leaf shape. The two can be easily distinguished with the help of key characters.

The sub-mucilaginous leaves are used as a pot herb in some parts of India. The leaves, flowers and fruits are demulcent, astringent and given in gonorrhoea. The bark and fresh leaves are used in diarrhoea and dysentry. The seeds are said to possess anthelmintic and aperient properties.

Triumfetta indica Lamarck (Encycl. 3: 420. 1792) is not based on Bartramia indica Linnaeus (Sp. Pl. 1: 389. 1753) and therefore blocks the transfer of B. indica to Triumfetta; hence the correct name for this species is T. rhomboidea.

The whole plant is used medicinally.

Much branched, 0.5-2 m tall herb or undershrub. Leaves 3-7-costate, variable in shape, generally rhomboid-ovate, 3-9 cm long, 2.5-7.5 cm broad, stellate or simple hairy to glabrescent, palmately 3-lobed or not, acute at the apex, cuneate-cordate at base, irregularly serrate; petiole up to 3.5 cm long, short in terminal leaves, hairy; stipules subulate, c. 3-4 mm long. Cymes terminal or antiphyllous. Flowers golden yellow, c. 5-6 mm across, subsessile. Buds oblong, constricted in the middle. Sepals lorate, strongly cucullate and awned at the apex, hairy outside. Petals oblong-obovate, equal to or slightly shorter than the sepals, hairy at the base. Stamens 15, rarely fewer, filaments as long as sepals, papillose. Carpels 2-3, syncarpous; ovary subglobose, 2-3-loculed, with uncinate hairs; style subulate, stigma 2-3-lobed. Capsule globose or subglobose, indehiscent, tomentose, c. 5-6 mm in diameter including 1.5-2 mm long, glabrous, uncinate spines.

Subshrubs or herbs. Branchlets gray-brown tomentose. Petiole 1-5 cm; lower leaf blades broadly ovate-orbicular, rhomboid, or broadly ovate, 3-lobed, 3-9.5 × 2-8.5 cm, abaxially stellate pilose, adaxially sparsely hairy, basal veins 3-5, 2 lateral ones reaching tip of lobes, base broadly cuneate or rounded, margin irregularly bluntly serrate, apex acute; upper leaf blades oblong-lanceolate, not lobed. Cymes 3-5 per axil; peduncle to 2 mm. Flower buds cylindrical, apex slightly wider, ca. 4 mm. Pedicel less than 1 mm. Sepals narrowly oblong, 4.5-5.5 mm, villous, appendaged at tip. Petals yellow, slightly shorter than sepals, hairy along margins. Stamens 10. Ovary spiny. Capsule globose, ca. 3 mm in diam., spiny, indehiscent; spines ca. 2 mm, gray-yellow puberulent, tip hooked. Seeds 2-6. Fl. summer-autumn. 2n = 32.

Distribution: Throughout the tropics.

Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Taiwan, Yunnan [throughout tropics; type from West Indies].

Fl.Per.: August-November.

Forest margins, open areas, wastelands; 100-1500 m.

Bartramia indica Linnaeus; Triumfetta angulata Lamarck; T. bartramii Linnaeus, nom. illeg. superfl.; T. indica Lamarck; T. trilocularis Roxburgh; T. velutina Vahl.