1302

 Bixa orellana L.

Synonym	:	Bixa americana Poir.
Family	:	Bixaceae
Local name	:	English-  Annatto,  Lipstick tree  Malayalam- Kurangumanjal
Flowering and fruiting period	:	June - November
Distribution	:	Originally from Tropical America; now widespread in the tropics.
Distribution in Kerala	:	All Districts
Habitat	:	Grown as ornamental plant.
Endemic /Exotic		Endemic to region between northern South America and Mexico.
Uses	:	Flowers are used for intermittent fevers, diseases of head and gonorrhoea. The pulp surrounding the seed is a mosquito repellent and is useful to treat dysentery. Dye from the pulp is used for colouring edible materials
Key botanical characters :  Fruting Shrubs or small evergreen trees Leaves alternate, ovate, subcordate or truncate at base, shining above, densely red- dotted, initially,. Inflorescence a terminal corymb or panicle, 8-50 flowered,. Flowers are showy white or pink  cm across. Sepals broadly ovate to suborbicular,  purple. Petals 5-7, unequal, obovate, rounded at apex, pink. Stamens many; anthers purple. Ovary densely covered with thick red bristles; style brownish red with age; seeds obpyramidal, orange-red.