Melastoma malabathricum L.

Family: Melastomataceae

Taxonomy: Plantae > Tracheophyta > Magnoliopsida > Myrtales > Melastomataceae > Melastoma > M. malabathricum

Common name [English]: Malabar Melastome

Vernacular name [Malayalam]: കലദി, അതിരാണി, തോട്ടുകാര, തൊടുകാര

Nativity: Seychelles, Tropical & Subtropical Asia to N. & E. Australia.

Habitat: Stream banks and marshy areas, grasslands, scrub jungles, thickets, open forests, bamboo forests.

Description: Shrubs to 1.3 m tall; stem densely covered with paleaceous pectinate hairs. Leaves 4-11 x 1.5-4 cm, elliptic-oblong, base attenuate, apex acute, upper surface prominently lineolate; lower surface tomentose, 5-ribbed, drying dull-greenish; petiole to 1.5 cm long. Flowers solitary or few in rather dense clusters, c. 5 cm across; bracts 1.2-2 x 1-1.4 cm, boat-shaped, densely paleaceous hairy. Calyx tube 0.7-1 cm long, campanulate; lobes 5, 5-7 x 4-5 mm, ovate-lanceolate, densely paleaceous hairy. Petals 5, reddish purple, 1.5-2 x 0.7 - 1 cm, obovate. Stamens 10, alternating ones large and small; anthers dimorphic, dehiscence by apical pores. Ovary ovoid, 5-locular; ovules many; style simple. Capsules 1-1.5 x 0.8-1 cm, ovoid, irregularly dehiscent. Seeds many, minute.

Flowering and Fruiting : Throughout the year

Uses : Ayurveda, Folk medicine, Siddha

Cultivation status : Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

References

http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org

https://indiabiodiversity.org