Ruellia prostrata Poir.

 

Family: Acanthaceae

 

Synonym: Dipteracanthus prostratus (Poir.) Nees

 

Vernacular name: Velipadakkam, Thuppalampotti

 

Habit: Herb

 

Habitat: Shaded places

 

Distribution: India, America, Africa

 

Flowering & Fruiting: June-February

 

Key identification features:  Diffuse herbs, rooting at lower nodes; stems villous. Flowers axillary, 2 or 3 together; stamens 4, didynamous, filaments connate below; Capsule linear oblong; seeds 5 in each cell, orbicular, compressed, marginate, smooth.

 

Uses: Whole plant juice is used as a remedy for various human disorders including snakebite.

Clinacanthus nutans (Burm.f.) Lindau

 

Family: Acanthaceae

 

Synonym: Justicia nutans Burm.f. Clinacanthus burmannii Nees

Vernacular name: Vishamooli, Sabah Snake Grass

 

Habit: Shrub

 

Habitat: Forests and thickets at low elevations

 

Distribution: Southeast Asia

 

Flowering and Fruiting: December-April

 

Key identification features: Leaves are paired oppositely and narrowly elliptic-oblong. Flowers are dull red with a green base, in dense cymes. The capsule is oblong and contains four seeds.

 

Uses: The leaves consumed as raw vegetable. It is used in treating skin rashes, insect and snake bites, diabetes mellitus, fever, diarrhea and dysuria.

Blepharis maderaspatensis (L.) B.Heyne ex Roth

 

Family: Acanthaceae

Synonym: Acanthus maderaspatensis L.. Acanthus ciliaris Burm. f.

Vernacular name: Elumbotti, Hemakandi, Murikootipacha

Habit: Herb

Habitat: Dry deciduous forests, also in the plains

Distribution: Tropical Africa to India

Flowering and Fruiting: November-February

Key identification features: It is a prostrate herbs having elliptic-obovate leaves. The stems are pubescent and grow flat against the ground. The flowers are axillary white with pink nerves. The resulting capsule is ovoid and contains 2 seeds.

Uses: Medicinal, Tubers edible. Used in the treatment of syphilis         

 

Asystasia gangetica (L.) T.Anderson

 

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.

Asystasia dalzelliana Santapau

 

Family: Acanthaceae

Synonym:  Asystasia dalzelliana var. alba V.S.A.Kumar & Deepalekshmi, Asystasia violacea Dalzell ex C.B.Clarke

Habit: Herb

Habitat: Evergreen and Semi-Evergreen forests, on higher hill plains and road cuttings

Distribution: Tropical Asia and Africa

Flowering and Fruiting: July-January

Key identification features: Erect or diffuse herbs. Leaves opposite, broadly ovate to elliptic. Flowers in terminal or subterminal secund racemes. Capsule calvate, stalked, pubescent, beaked. Seeds orbicular or angular.

Uses: Anti-arthritis

Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall. ex Nees

 

Family: Acanthaceae

Synonym: Andrographis subspathulata C. B. Clarke, Justicia paniculata Burm.f.

Vernacular name: Kaakanjiram, iriyathu, Kiriyattu, Nelavepu, Nilamkanjiram, Nilavepu

Habit: Herb

Habitat: Scrub jungles, also in the plains

Distribution: Peninsular India and Sri Lanka

Flowering and Fruiting: March-December

Key identification features: It is a perennial herb with slender woody stem having glabrous branches. Panicle terminal and upper axillary moreover glandular-hairy. Flowers many and distant. Capsule is oblong, acute, hairy with 8 seeds.

Uses: The roots and leaves are anthelmintic, bitter, febrifuge, stomachic and tonic. The leaves have anti-inflammatory effect and also significantly inhibit oedema

Andrographis atropurpurea (Dennst.) Alston

 

Family: Acanthaceae

Synonym: Andrographis wightiana Arn. ex Nees, Justicia atropurpurea Dennst.

Habit: Herb

Habitat: Evergreen and Semi-evergreen forests

Distribution: Western Ghats

Flowering and Fruiting: July-September

Key identification features: Andrographis is a suberect undershrub with hairy stem. Leaves are ovate and glabrous. Inflorescence is panicle with long lax racemes. Flowers are distant with light pink with brown spots. Capsule is oblong, glandular hairy with 8 seeds.

Uses: The roots and leaves are considered to be alterative, anthelmintic, bitter, febrifuge, stomachic and tonic