Congea tomentosa Roxb.

Congea species are scandent shrubs, leaves opposite, entire, inflorescence terminal or axillary, of 3-9 flowered capitate cymes, pedunculate, involucre of 3-4 elongate, bracts at the base of the peduncles leaf-like, white or pink, rarely with 2 inner bracteoles, inconspicuous, subulate, outer bracteoles ovate-elliptic to spathulate, apex truncate or rounded, rarely bilobed, handsome, purple or white-tomentose on adaxial surface. Flowers sessile or shortly pedicellate, calyx actinomorphic, weakly accrescent in fruit, narrowly infundibuliform, 5-lobed, lobes equal, triangular, calyx-tube longer than lobes, densely pubescent, especially in throat, corolla lilac or pink, 2-lipped, 5-lobed, corolla-tube cylindrical, straight, slightly bigger near base around ovary, densely annulate near throat, stamens 4, didynamous, divergent, exserted, filaments filiform, style terminal, exserted, stigma-bilobed. Fruit drupaceous, obovoid.

Congea species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects. Flowering/Fruiting: March-June.

Seeds dispersed by anemochory i.e., wind dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds and animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

A large climbing bushy shrub about 20-40 ft. Stem grayish brown, branches glandular, obtusely quadrangular, hollow, young branchlets slender, densely tomentose with short yellow hairs. Leaves opposite, ovate-lanceolate, 5-15 x 3-9 cm across, base shortly cordate, obtuse or rounded, margin entire, apex acuminate or acute, chartaceous, dark green, glabrous above, paler pubescent beneath, lateral veins 4-7 on either side of the midrib, basally tri-veined, ascending, margin arcuate, petiole slender, pubescent, about 0.2-0.5 cm long, exstipulate, floral leaves very small and downy. Inflorescence panicles axillary and terminal, composed of many, ascending and opposite pairs of cymes, bracts oblong to cordate, densely pubescent, each at the base of the pubescent peduncle, Involucre 3 leaved, 6-9 flowered, leaflets elliptic, white or pink colored, about 2.5 cm long and 1 cm wide. Flowers bisexual, pedicellate, zygomorphic, calyx cupular, 5 toothed, teeth minutely divided, green, apex mucronate, densely pubescent, corolla 5 lobed, lobes subequal, creamish white or white, slightly pubescent, corolla tube, cylindric about the same length as the calyx, one lobe longer than rest 4 lobes, stamens 4 didynamous, much exserted, filaments slender, filiform, violet or purple, anthers oblong, purple, bilobed, ovary bicarpellary, ovoid, glabrous, 4 lobed, 4 loculed, style filiform, purple. Fruit drupaceous, globose, enclosed in enlarged calyx, with 4 nutlets.

Susceptible to insect pests.

Notes: Western Ghats, Evergreen Forests, Cultivated, Native of Indo - Chinese Region

Forests and cultivated.

Used as an ornamental.