47
Plumbago zeylanica L.
Synonym
|
:
|
Findlaya alba Bowdich
|
Family
|
:
|
Plumbaginaceae
|
Local name
|
:
|
English - Wild Plumbago
Malayalam - Vellakoduveli
|
Flowering
and fruiting period
|
:
|
November-March
|
Distribution
|
:
|
Pan tropical
|
Distribution
in Kerala
|
:
|
All Districts
|
Habitat
|
:
|
Deciduous forests, also in the plains
|
Uses
|
:
|
A paste made from
the root of this plant is used as a pain killer. In Ayurveda, it is a commonly used medicinal herb for treating digestive
weakness, piles, constipation, cough, muscular pains and rheumatism.
|
Key botanical characters:
Erect subshrubs,
sometimes subscandent; stem striate. Leaves ovate or elliptic-ovate, base
shortly and abruptly attenuated into a short petiole, apex acute or subacute;
Flowers white, in elongate, terminal, often panicles racemes; rachis with
sessile glands; bracteoles ovate, acuminate. Calyx long, narrowly tubular,
densely covered with stalked glands; lobes small. Corolla across; tube long;
lobes obovate-oblong. Stamens 5; filaments long. Ovary ellipsoid, 1-locular;
stigma 5-fid. Capsule oblong, acute with 5 furrows.
 |
||
