Ancistrocladus tectorius (Lour.) Merr.

Ancistrocladus species are evergreen woody climbers or scandent shrubs. Sympodial branches with circinate woody hooks. Leaves simple, alternate, narrow oblong-oblanceolate, base attenuate, margins entire with sparse minute glandular pits, apex acute to acuminate, coriaceous, midrib impressed above and prominent beneath, petiole short or sessile. Inflorescence axillary or terminal, panicles. Flowers bisexual, pedicel short, bracteate, calyx 5 lobed, very shortly tubular, imbricate, base adnate to the ovary, when mature adnate to fruit with unequal large lobes, turbinate, spreading and membranous, petals 5, imbricate, alternating with sepals, oblong, imbricate, white or pink. Stamens 5-10, filaments short, dilated, base connate and dilated, anthers basifixed, short, introrse. Ovary perigynous, unilocular, ovoid, ovule one anatropous, styles 3, short, cylindric. Fruit dry dehiscent nut, surrounded by persistent spreading sepals. Seed large, endosperm ruminate.

Ancistrocladus 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, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: January—March/March—May.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, anemochory i.e., wind dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Evergreen scandent shrubs or lainas with trailing branches. Bark dark colored and twisted stems, branches with circinate woody hooks, ultimate branches tendril-like, branches with hooks and without leaves arise between. Leaves simple, alternate, linear oblanceolate to obovate-oblong, about 10-25 x 4-7 cm across, base attenuate, margins entire with sparse minute glandular pits, apex acute to subobtuse, tufted at the tip of the branches, midrib impressed above and prominent beneath, lateral veins looping marginally, veinlets reticulate and distinct, petiole sessile. Inflorescence terminal, repeatedly dichotomous panicles, with divaricate divisions, recurved ultimately. Flowers bisexual, pedicel short or subsessile, bracts ovate, apex acute, calyx 5 lobed, very shortly tubular, imbricate, base adnate to the ovary, when mature accrescent to fruit with unequal lobes, about 3-6 x 2-3 mm across, decurrent slightly with subparallel nervules in fruiting about 4-4.5 cm long, petals 5, imbricate, white or pink, obovate-oblong, alternating with sepals, oblong, imbricate, about 5-8 x 3-4 mm across. Stamens 10, filaments dilated, base connate and dilated, about 4-6 mm long, anthers basifixed, short, introrse. Ovary perigynous, unilocular, adnate to the calyx, ovule one basal, anatropous, styles 3, short, erect, stigma discoidous. Fruit dry dehiscent nut, surrounded by persistent spreading wing-like sepals. Seed 1, endosperm ruminate.

Ancistrocladus species are susceptible to various insect pests, virus and fungi, affecting leaves, fruits and roots.

Evergreen inland forests, altitude up to 150 m.

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Stems used by Native Andamanese for making arrows and used in folk medicine.