Sunday, July 21, 2024

Hoppea fastigiata (Griseb.) C.B.Clarke

 

Family – Gentianaceae

Synonym – Cicendia fastigiata Griseb. 

Habit – Herb

Habitat – Deciduous forests and grasslands, also in the plains

Distribution – Peninsular India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar

Flowering and Fruiting – September-October

Key Identification Features –This herb is small and branched, with 4-winged stems. Its opposite leaves are ovate and subsessile. The inflorescence consists of terminal and axillary cymes with peduncle. The calyx has lanceolate teeth. The corolla tube with unequal, lanceolate lobes. There’s one perfect stamen and three sterile ones. The fruit is an ellipsoid capsule with numerous minute, obscurely reticulate seeds.

Uses - Local tribes have traditionally used it for various brain-related ailments. The genus contains a unique class of compounds called xanthones, which are known for their potential against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.





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