Family:
Acanthaceae
Synonym: Ruellia gangetica (L.)
R.Br., Justicia gangetica L.
Vernacular name:
Eshwaramulla, Garudakodi, Iswaramooli, Kadalivegam, Karalakam.
Habit: Climber
Habitat: Open dry
deciduous forests and scrub jungles
Distribution: India,
Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Malesia
Flowering and
Fruiting: July-February
Key identification features:
This plant is a procumbent herb.
Its stem is quadrangular and
covered in fine hairs. The flowers are arranged in terminal and axillary racemes, forming a spike-like structure. The
white flowers have a violet-purple blotch in the middle
lobe of the lower lip. Fruit is a capsule.
Uses: In some parts of
Africa, the leaves of Asystasia gangetica are eaten as a vegetable and the
leaves are used for asthma. Asystasia gangetica is also cultivated as an
ornamental plant.
No comments:
Post a Comment