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Malabar Catmint
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Malabar Catmint
ative Photo: Shaista Ahmad
Common name: Malabar Catmint • Hindi: Gopoli, Codhara • Marathi: गोजिभा Gojibha • Tamil: பேய்மிரட்டி அல்லது பெருந்தும்பை Pēymiraṭṭi allatu peruntumpai, Peyimarutti • Malayalam: Perumtumpa, Karintumpa • Telugu: Moga-biran, Mogabheri • Kannada: ಗಂಡುಕರಿತುಂಬೆ Gandu kari tumbe, ಗಂಡುಬೀರನಗಿಡ Gandubirana gida, ಮೊಗವೀರಚೊಟ್ಟು Mogaveerachettu, ಮೊಗಬೀರಚೆಟ್ಟು Mogabeerachettu • Oriya: vଐକୁଂଠ Vaikuntha • Konkani: Kaktumbo • Sanskrit: महाद्रोणः Mahadronah, वैकुंठः Vaikunthah
Botanical name: Anisomeles malabarica    Family: Lamiaceae (Mint family)
Synonyms: Anisomeles salviifolia, Nepeta malabarica

Malabar Catmint is a shrubby herb, 0.5-1.5 m tall. Stems are tetragonous, densely villous or woolly. Leaves are ovate to oblong, 3-8 cm x 1.5-3 cm, densely woolly beneath, sparsely hirsute above, hairs 4-celled, petiole 0.5-2.5 cm long, softly woolly. Inflorescence is a single terminal spike, calyx 8.5 mm x 6 mm, longest teeth 3-4 mm long, in fruit 8-10 mm long, teeth hairy inside. Flower up to 1.8 cm long, lower lip about 12 mm x 4 mm, lilac or pale blue, filaments almost at same level, about 8 mm long, style about 1.3 cm long. Nutlets are cylindrical, 1.3 mm x 0.9 mm.
Medicinal uses: The whole plant, especially the leaves and the roots are used as astringent, carminative, febrifuge and tonic.

Identification credit: S. Kasim Photographed at Karighatta Hill, Karnataka.

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