Dactylicapnos scandens (D. Don) Hutch., 1921

Dactylicapnos species are erect or climbing, annual or perennial herbs. Stem grooved, glabrous, branched. Leaves alternate, ternate or pinnatifid, petiolate, exstipulate, leaflets entire, ovate, to spathulate, petiolulate, terminal leaflets usually replaced by branched tendrils. Inflorescence corymbose or umbellate. Flowers bisexual, leaf opposed, pale yellow to orange, showing bilateral symmetry, pedicellate, bracteate, Sepals 2, petals 4 in 2 series, outer series 2 coherent and keeled, with a compressed tube, base gibbous, apex hooded and divergent, inner series 2 linear, crested, unguiculate, exposed at mouth, hooded enclosing anthers and stigma. Stamens 6 in 2 bundles, each bundle 2 loculed, later anthers one loculed, base expanded into 1-2 nectary glands, enclosed by swollen base of outer petal. Ovary subglobose or elongate, unilocular, ovules few to many, style slender, stigmas flattened with 2 hornlike at apex. Fruits capsules, linear, cylindric, ellipsoid-obovoid, globose, dehiscing by 2 valves in upper part, with persistent placentae and style. Seeds reniform, compressed, papillate, beaked on one side, bulged other side.

Dactylicapnos 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: June-December.

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

Herbaceous climbing perennial herbs, about 3-5 m long. Stems slender, angular, grooved, glabrous. Leaves 2 or 3 times ternately compound, exstipulate, about 5 cm long, petiole about 2.5-3 cm long, leaflets ovate-spathulate to ovate-elliptic, about 1-3.5 x 0.5-2 cm across, base acute to cuneate usually unequal, margin entire, apex acute to obtuse with mucronate tip, terminal leaflet larger than the lateral leaflets, lateral veins about 5-7 either side of the midrib, first or lowest pair almost near the base, petiolules slender, grooved, about 0.5-1 cm long, rachis ending or terminal leaflets usually replaced with the tendrils. Inflorescence raceme, about 8-12 flowered, peduncle slender, about 2-8 cm, bracts narrow oblanceolate, about 4-6 x 1 mm across. Flowers bisexual, leaf opposed, yellow, apex bright yellow with purple spots, about 1-2 cm long, pedicels filiform, about 1.5-2.5 cm long, sepals 2, ovate-triangular, apex acuminate, about 2-3 mm long, petals, linear, yellow, apex acute, faintly reflexed, outer petals about 1.8-2 cm long, inner petals unguiculate, with crested lower lobe, nectariferous glands short, strongly hooked at the apex, producing waxy secretion, about 4-5 x 0.8-1 mm across, Stamens 6 in 2 bundles, each bundle 2 loculed, later anthers one loculed, base expanded into 1-2 nectary glands. Ovary subglobose or elongate, unilocular, ovules few to many, style slender, stigmas flattened. Fruits capsules, ellipsoid-ovoid, grooved, dehiscing in upper part, with persistent stigma and style, about 14-20 x 6-8 mm across. Seeds numerous, in 4 rows, compressed, papillate, black, arillate with small white aril.

Dactylicapnos species are susceptible to insect pests and rusts.

Shady places of forests, rocky slopes and grasslands, altitude 1800-2750 m.

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Cultivated in gardens as ornamental. Alkaloids are extracted from this species in the laboratory.