9. Cadaba fruticosa

Botanical Name: Cadaba fruticosa (L.) Druce [Capparaceae]

Common Name: Indian Cadaba  Marathi: habal, vaelivee

Habit: Shrub

Habitat: Dry deciduous forests, I have seen it near open area near pond and near creek.

Distribution: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Kerala

Local Distribution: Talzan, SGNP, Haven't observed this in Tungareshwar (may be because its a hilly region at higher elevation)

Global Distribution: Endemic to India, Bangladesh, Pakistan , Sri Lanka , Myanmar 

Flowering Season:  Perennial , flowering is throughout the year (Mostly November to March). I have observed in March/April/May/June

About Cadaba

The Genus Cadaba comprises of plants bearing following characteristics as per Cook's Flora.
1. Habit: Shrubs or Tree Leaves simple or trifoliolate. Flowers axillary, solitary, racemose or corymbose. Sepals 4, unequal or 2-seriate, the 2 outer valvate. Petals 2-4, rarely 0, clawed. Disk prolonged into a trumpet-shaped or spatulate process with a tubular claw. Stamens 4-6 ; filaments filiform, exserted, spreading. Ovary 1-celled, on the top of a long gynophore; ovules many, on 2-4 parietal placentas ; stigma sessile. Fruit fleshy, long, cylindric, berried, or dehiscing tardily by 2 valves which leave the pulpy placentas. Seeds subglobose ; testa cartilaginous ; cotyledons convolute.
Cadaba Genus is distributed in  Tropical and subtropical E. and W. Africa, Arabia; species 12.

Shrubs : limb of petals spatulate . Stamens 4 then C. indica. Stamens 5 then C. farinosa.
A tree:  limb of petals suborbicular  then C. heterotricha. (This species is mentioned by BSI flora as Cadaba linearifolia (Grah.) Almeida  )


Cadaba fruticosa is widely found in India whereas C. farinosa is rarely found (Cook mentions its location in SIND and has reported it rare, the Tree C. heterotricha is very rare and recorded by Cook as seen in SIND)

Efloraindia group, a large database of plants from all over India mentions a Cadaba species(Cadaba trifoliata) seen in Alagarkoil hill range. The flower has 8 stamens.

The Plant

This is a perennial shrub 2 to 5 ft from the ground. It has a straggling appearance and has many branches. In favourable conditions, the plant can grow in a form of a dense bush. The flowering goes on throughout the year. The plant is evergreen.

The Root

The Stem/Trunk

Stems is cylindrical or slightly tapering, and without substantial furrows or ridges(Terete), Older stems are smooth and purplish , Younger stems are yellow-brown and pubescent.

The Leaves

Simple and alternate leaves. The leaves are of variable sizes, the shape is more or less the same. 

Leaf Shape: elliptic-oblong, obtuse (rarely retuse), mucronate, reticulately veined, glabrous, base rounded. Leaf margin is entire.

The flower

Flower has very interesting structure.  Pedicels are 3/8 to 3/4th inches long and are pubescent. 

Sepals subequal(nearly but not exactly equal in size), ovate-oblong, acute, exceeding 1/2 inches long, pubescent outside. 

Petals spatulate, about equaling the sepals ; claw long, very narrow. Disk prolonged into a funnel-shaped process 3/8 in. long, expanded and toothed at the apex, mouth oblique. 

Stamens 4, inserted about 1/2 way up the gynophore, much exserted(caused to protrude). Gynophore 3/4 to 7/8 in. long. Ovary oblong ; 

style 0.

The Fruit

Fruit dehiscent, 1/2 in. by 1/8 in., cylindric, irregularly torulose, pubescent or smooth. Seeds numerous, striate, surrounded by an orange-red aril.