Ceylon Heliotrope is an erect annual herb 30-40 cm
tall, branched or unbranched from the base, appressed hairy; branches
ascending. Leaves are 25-50 x 3-5 mm, linear, sparse hairy on both
surfaces. Hairs less than 1 mm long, usually with a bulbous base; lower
surface lighter green. Flowers are borne in long inflorescences 2.5-4
cm long, at branch-ends and in leaf-axils, up to 12 cm in fruit, simple
or branched, bearing uniseriate, stalkless to nearly stalkless flowers.
Bracts 2-3 mm long linear, hairy. Calyx 1.5-2.5 mm long, 5-partite into
lanceshaped lobes, appressed hairy on the outer surface. Flower are
white, about 3.5 mm long, hairy, throat sparsely so, tube somewhat
constricted at the throat; lobes blunt, nervose, margin somewhat wavy.
Anthers 0.8 mm long, nearly stalkless, ovate, tip produced, attached
about 0.7 mm above the flower tube. Stigma conical, 0.5 mm long,
hairless, ± equalling. Style length. Stigmatic ring prominent. Fruit
spherical, compressed, 4-lobed, upper 2/3rd hairy. Nutlets about 1.4 mm
long, brown, faintly rugulose at the back. Ceylon Heliotrope is
widespread in tropical Africa, Arabia, Pakistan and India.
Medicinal uses: The juice of the plant is
applied to sore eyes. It is also used for boils, wounds and ulcers.
Identification credit: Navendu Pāgé
Photographed in Jodhpur, Rajasthan & Anantapur District, Andhra Pradesh.
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The flower labeled Ceylon Heliotrope is ...