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Melastoma malabathricum L.

Synonym	:	Melastoma malabathricum subsp. malabathricum
Family	:	Melastomataceae
Local name	:	Malayalam  - Athirani, Kadali,
Flowering and fruiting period	:	Throughout the year
Distribution	:	South East Asia
Distribution in Kerala	:	All Districts
Habitat	:	Stream banks and marshy areas
Uses	:	The leaves, shoots, barks, seeds and roots have been used to treat diarrhoea, dysentery, hemorrhoids, cuts and wounds, toothache, and stomach ache.
Key Botanical Characters:  Shrubs to 1.3 m tall; stem densely covered with paleaceous pectinate hairs. Leaves simple, opposite, elliptic-oblong, apex acute, base attenuate. Flowers solitary or few in rather dense clusters, boat-shaped, densely paleaceous hairy. Calyx tube 0.7-1 cm long, campanulate, ovate-lanceolate, densely paleaceous hairy. Petals 5, reddish purple, obovate. Stamens 10, alternating ones large and small; anthers dimorphic, dehiscence by apical pores. Ovary ovoid, 5-locular; ovules many; style simple. Capsules ovoid, irregularly dehiscent; seeds many, minute.