jateorhiza

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A genus of Menispermaceæ, containing, with one or two other species, the J. Calumba, whose root is the columbo of commerce. They belong to the forests of Mozambique, and are woody climbers with large, deeply cleft leaves on long petioles, and the flowers in axillary racemes. The flower has 6 sepals in two sets, 6 petals shorter than the sepals, and in the male plant 6 stamens whose anthers open by a transverse slit near the extrorse tip. In the female flower there are 6 sterile stamens, and 3 ovaries which become ovoid drupes. See cut under columbo.