Bitterroot Restoration

Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Malpighiaceae
Common name: Madhabilata, Madhublata(Beng.).
Life cycle: Perennial
Native Range: Native to India, Southeast Asia and the Philippines.

Hiptage benghalensis is a stout, high-climbing liana or large shrub, with white or yellowish hairs on the stem. Their leaves are lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate and approximately 20 cm (8 in) long, and 9 cm (4 in) broad; petioles are up to 1 cm long. It has scandent branches up to 5 m (16 ft) high. The flowers of hiptage are fragrant and borne in compact clusters in the forks of the upper leaves. Each flower cluster can contain 10-30 flowers. The individual flowers have five rounded petals 1-2 cm long with fringed margins. These petals are white or tinged with pink and one has bright yellow markings. Their fruit is very distinctive, it is winged and is known as a samara. Each fruit has three papery wings 2-5 cm long.

Hiptage benghalensis is also occasionally cultivated for medicinal purposes in the alternative medicine practice ayurveda. The leaves and bark are hot, acrid, bitter, insecticidal, vulnerary and useful in the treatment of biliousness, cough, burning sensation, thirst and inflammation; it also has the ability to treat skin diseases and leprosy.