Oriental Purpleberry is a shrub 1-4 m tall, with coarse bark. Young branches are
grayish brown, ribbed, and covered with yellow velvety hairs and sparse
grayish white lenticels. Leaves are compound, 8-30 cm long, with
leaf-stalk and spine either hairless or yellow velvety. Leaflets are
usually 9-13, opposite, ovate to ovoid-oblong, 3.5-10 × 1.5-5 cm. Flowers
are born in clusters 8-15 cm long. Flowers are white, 3-4 mm in diameter.
Flower stalks are 1-1.5 mm long. Sepal cup is short, yellow velvety
outside. Sepals are broadly triangular. Petals are white or yellow, linear
to oblong-elliptic, 2-3.5 mm, outside covered with sparse appressed
velvety hairs. Stamens are shorter than petals, with hairy filaments.
Fruit is purple to black when mature, round, 4-5 mm in diameter.
Oriental Purpleberry is found in Indian Subcontinent to S. China and
W. & Central Malesia. Flowering: April-October.
Medicinal uses:
Leaves have powerful anti venom properties, especially for the treatment
of cobra poison. Juice of the root is given in cases of indigestion.
It is also used in treating cough and cold. A paste of bark is pressed against
the teeth for about 15 mins to relieve bleeding and swelling of gums.
Identification credit: Navendu Pāgé, Shaista Ahmad
Photographed at Cauvery riverside, Bangalore & Kannavam, Kerala.
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The flower labeled Oriental Purpleberry is ...