Ixora is native to Asia and its name derives from the word 'Isvara' or
Ishwara, a name variously meaning God, Supreme Being, Supreme Soul, lord, in
India. It is a branched shrub, up to 1 m tall; branches hairless. Leaves
are mostly stalkless, opposite deccussate, 4-8 x 1.5-6.5 cm, entire,
apiculate, blunt or with a short sharp point, 8-15 pairs at lateral
nerves, hairless; stipules triangular, cuspidate or awned. Flowers are
borne at branch-ends, in dense corymb-like cymes, flower-cluster-stalk
very short or absent; bracts about 8 mm long. Flowers are stalkless,
bright scarlet, hypanthium 1-1.5 mm long, becoming hairless, teeth,
about 0.5 mm long. Flower-tube is prominently long, 2.5-4.0 cm long,
1.5 mm wide, hairless, petals 8-10 x 4-5 mm, twisted in bud, throat
hairless. Stamens are 4, inserted on the throat of flower-tube, filaments
very short. Style protruding; stigma 1.5 mm long. Fruit is spherical,
red when ripe, crowned with the sepal-cup teeth. It is a very common garden
plant.
Medicinal uses: Roots are stomachic, sedative,
astringent, febrifuse and acrid. Leaf extract is given in dysentery. Bark
powder is applied to sores, burns and injuries. Flower are sweet,
carminative, digestive and constipating. Flower extract is used as an
eye lotion.
Identification credit: Joseph Thomas, Rita Singh
Photographed in cultivation.
• Is this flower misidentified?
If yes,
Your name: Your email: Your comments
The flower labeled Red Ixora is ...