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Plumbago zeylanica

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Photographs by: Dr. Maulik Gadani

  • Botanical Name : Plumbago zeylanica L.
  • Common Name : Safed Chitrak
  • Plant Family : Plumbaginaceae
  • Plant Form : Herb
  • Occurrence (Special Areas) : Indroda Park, Ayurvedic Udyan, Aranya Van

About Plumbago zeylanica Plant :

  • Habit : An erect or subscandent herb with branches long, not rooting at nodes.
  • Leaves : Alternate, ovate, entire, glabrous narrowed into a short petiole, the petiole often enlarged at the base into two small auricles.
  • Inflorescence : Racemes, the rachis glandular, 6-30 cm long.
  • Flowers :
    • Calyx densely covered with stalked glands.
    • Corolla tube with limb about 12-15mm across, white.
    • Stamens 5.
  • Fruits : An oblong, pointed capsule, furrowed, one-seeded.
  • Flowering and Fruiting Time : September onwards.
  • Significance :
    • A paste of root prepared with milk, salt and water is used as an external application in leprosy and other skin diseases of an obstinate character.
    • It is used as an irritant to the skin, in the treatment of dyspepsia, piles, anasarca, diarrhea and skin diseases.
    • The drug is apt to cause abortion, even eating the leaves is said to cause similar action.