1251

 

Tibouchina urvilleana (DC.) Cogn.

Synonym	:	Lasiandra urvilleana DC.
Family	:	Melastomataceae
Local name	:	English - Princess Flower
Flowering and fruiting period	:	August-January
Distribution	:	Native of South America
Distribution in kerala	:	Idukki
Habitat	:	Introduced as garden plant, now getting naturalised in the high ranges.
Endemic / Exotic	:	Exotic
Uses	:	Ornamental
Key Botanical Characters  : Large shrubs; branchlets 4-angled, densely hirsute. Leaves to 9 x 4 cm, decussate, ovate-oblong, coriaceous. Panicles terminal, to 12 cm; peduncle densely puberulous. Flowers to 7 cm wide, 5-merous; pedicel 1 cm; bracts boat-shaped. Hypanthium tubular, densely pubescent. Petals 5, violet, obovate, 3.5 cm wide, spreading. Stamens 10, declinate; antesepalous 5 long (4 cm) and antepetalous 5 short (2.5 cm); anthers spurred; connectives with 2 basal tubercles. Ovary inferior, 5-celled, 10 angled; ovules numerous, axile; style 3 cm, basally gland-tipped, curved. Capsules 5-valved with persistent hypanthium, 1.5 x 0.8 cm, dehiscing loculicidally; seeds numerous.