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                                         Buxus sempervirens L.

Synonym	:	Buxus angustifolia Mill.
Family	:	Buxaceae
Local name	:	English- Common box
Flowering and fruiting period	:	April - September
Distribution	:	Western Ghats, Cultivated, Native of Mediterranean Region
Habitat	:	Beechwood and scrub, usually on chalk and limestone
Uses	:	All parts of the plant are poisonous, especially the leaves and bark. The leaves and the bark are alterative, antirheumatic, cathartic, cholagogue, diaphoretic, febrifuge, oxytocic and vermifuge. The leaves have been used as a quinine substitute in the treatment of malaria
Key botanical characters: Buxus sempervirens is an evergreen Shrub growing to 5 m (16ft) by 5 m (16ft) at a slow rate. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Bees, flies. Arranged in opposite pairs along the stems, the leaves are green to yellow-green, oval, 1.5–3 cm long, and 0.5–1.3 cm broad. The hermaphrodite flowers are inconspicuous but highly scented, greenish-yellow, with no petals, and are insect pollinated; the fruit is a three-lobed capsule containing 3-6 seeds. It is noted for attracting wildlife.