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CONVOLVULACEAE
15. Operculina turpethum (Linn.) S. Manso. Enum Subst. Bras. 16 and 40. 1836 (Fig. 154).
Ipomoea turpethum R. Br.—ipomoea re plans Llanos—Ipomoea ventricosa Llanos—Ipomoea
anceps Roem. and Schult.—Ipomoea triquetra Roem. and Schult.—Convolvulus maximus
Blanco—Convolvulus turpethum Linn.—Convolvulus anceps Linn.—Convolvulus triqjieter Vahl—
Spiranthera turpethum Bojer—Argyreia alulata Miq.—Turpethum repens Bauh.
Engl. False Jalap, Indian Jalp, Turpeth root; Sinh. Thrasthavalu, Tirassa valu; Tarn.
Adimbu, Kumbam, Kumbanjan, Kunagandi, Paganrai, Samaran, Saralam, Sivadai; Hindi
Nisotar, Nisoth, Nukpatar, Pitohri, Tarbal, Tarbud, Trabal; Sans. Ardhachandra, Aruna,
Kalameshi, Kalaparni, Kali, Kalingika, Kumbhadhatri, Laghurochani, Malavika, Masuravidala,
Masuri, Nandi, Paripakini, Rechani, Rochani, Saha, Sara, Sarana, Sarasa, Sarata, Sarvanubhuti,
Shyama, Susheni, Suvaha. Tribhandi, Triputa, Trivela, Trivrit, Trivrittika, Vidala.
A perennial, twining climber with long, slender, fleshy, /nuch-branched roots and very
long, non-woody, much twining, slightly pubescent, angled stems, the angles widely winged,
tough, brown and fibrous when old. young stems nearly cylindrical and densely pubescent;
leaves simple, alternate without stipules, 7—11 cm long, 6.5—10 cm broad, broadly ovate or
oblong—cordate, subacute, slightly repand, shallowly cordate at base, margin entire or slightly
and undulately lobed, more or less pubescent on both sides, especially when young, minutely
reticulate; petioles 2—8 cm long, slightly pubescent, flowers regular, bisexual rather large,
4 cm long and as much in diameter, white in simple cymes, 2—5 flowers together, pedicels stout,
thickened upwards, pubescent, peduncle 6—8.5 cm lung; bracts large, 2.7 cm long, 1.8 cm
broad, oblong—lanceolate, pubescent, apiculate, soon falling off; sepals 5, unequal, imbricate,
the two outer 2.5 cm long and as broad, ovate, membranous, mucronate, hairy on both sides,
sprinkled over with black dots, becoming much enlarged in the fruit, inner sepals 1.7—2 cm
long, 1 .4—1.7 cm broad, hairy; petals 5, fused into a more or less rotate corolla, 4 cm in
diameter, segments obscure, convolute and contorted in bud; stamens 5, epipetaious, filaments
dilated at base and hairy; ovary superior, 2 mm long, 2-locular with 2 ovules in each chamber,
style simple, 1 .6 cm long, stigma globose: fruit capsule over I .2 cm long, completely enclosed
in enlarged, brittle, membranous, fleshy sepals, shortly stalked, depressed, strongly 4-lobed,
slightly hairy; seeds large, glabrous.
Flowers during May and November.
Illustrations. Edward, Bot. Reg. 4: pi. 279. 1818; Curtis, Bot. Mag. 46: pi. 2093. 1819;
Kirtikar and Basu. Indian Med. Plants, pi. 666. 1933.
Distribution. Occurs throughout the tropics of the Old World, including India and Ceylon.
It is found in damp shady places in the low-country in Ceylon, often cultivated.
India. Bengal: Wallich 1371/1. Mount Nilghiriand Kurg, G. Thomson. Malabar,Concan,
etc.. Stocks, Law. etc. Ceylon. Central Prov., Kandy, Suduhumpola, Herb. Peradeniya., June 1894.
Maldive Islands. Didi 23, 1896. Philippine Islands. Luzon: Clemens, Feb. 1924.
Composition. The roots of this plant contain the glucosides, turpethin and. turpethein.
Turpethein is made up of 1-turpethein containing jalapic, ipomoic and tampicolic acids and
f-turpenthein.
Uses. The fleshy roots are used along with other ingredients for fever, cough, asthma,
skin diseases, sores, boils, itches, etc., anaemia, diarrhoea, piles, dyspepsia, rheumatism, gout,
vomiting, biliousness, urinary diseases such as strangury, dysuria, stones in the bladder,diseases of
the spleen and all ailments due to excessive indulgence in alcohol. The powdered root is given
as a purgative. With ginger, it is particularly beneficial in rheumatic and paralytic affections.
The plant has a considerable degree of antibiotic action.
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