Scientific Name
Plumbago zeylanica L.
Synonyms
Family
Plumbaginaceae
Local Name
Safaid Pholi, Chitra
Habit Habitat
A branched, rambling shrub, found in sub-tropical zone.
Taxonomic Features
Leaves simple, ovate, pale yellow-green, 8cm long, 3cm broad, acute. Petiole with amplexicaul base. Inflorescence a branched spike. Flower actinomorphic, pentamerous, white. Calyx tubular with stipitate glands. Corolla limb rotate, tube larger than calyx length. Fruit a capsule. Seed reddish-brown to dark-brown.
Flowering Fruiting
April- September
Harvesting Time
May-December
Medicinal Value
Plant is acrid and stimulant, promotes salivation. A paste of this plant with salt and water used to treat ringworm, leprosy, scabies, baldness and leukoderma. Decoction in oil treats stomach cancer. Locally a massage with oil and powder is useful in rheumatism and paralysis. Crushed leaves are used in dyspepsia and piles.
Parts Used
Flower, leaf and root
Future Prospective
Conservation, Collection, Cultivation, Herbal Pharmacy, Allopathic Pharmacy.
Plant Images
Plumbago zeylanica L.