435
Turnera subulata Smith in Rees
Synonym
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:
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Turnera elegans
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Family
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Turneraceae
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Local name
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English- West
Indian Holly
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Flowering and fruiting
period
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Throughout
the year
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Distribution
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Native
of Tropical America
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Distribution in Kerala
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Kottayam,
Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Thiruvananthapuram, Malappuram,
Kozhikkode, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Kannur
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Habitat
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Grown
in garden, often found as an escape
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Endemic/Exotic
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Exotic
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Uses
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Turnera
ulmifolia is used medicinally in the Bahamas to treat
gastrointestinal problems (constipation, diarrhoea), colds and flu, and
circulatory problems (heart palpitations), infant care (gripe), ob/gyn issues
(menstrual cramps), and dermatological issues.
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Key
botanical characters:
Subshrubs.
Leaves simple, alternate; stipules minute. Lamina elliptic-ovate to lanceate,
2.5-6 by 1-3.5 cm, base cuneate-decurrent; margin serrate-dentate, apex
obtuse, subacute to acute, sparsely puberulous, gland-dotted, lateral nerves
c. 8 pairs, chartaceous; petiole with a pair of glands towards the apex. Flowers
bisexual, 5-merous, solitary in upper leaf-axils; bracteoles linear-subulate;
pedicel adnate to the petiole throughout; calyx-tube small, lobes 5, linear;
petals 5, yellow with deep purple centre; stamens 5, inserted at the base of
calyx-tube. Capsule loculicidal, globose. Seeds many, pitted.
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