Botanical name: Clerodendrum indicum    Family: Verbenaceae (Verbena family)
Synonyms: Clerodendrum siphonanthus

Tubeflower is a semiwoody shrub or returning perennial, 6-9 ft tall and only slightly, if at all, branched. Leaves are whorled, stalkless, 3-5 in each whorl, narrowly lanceshaped, 10-20 cm long, 1-2.5 cm broad, entire, pointed. Cymes whorledly arranged to form a at branch-ends, 20-25 cm long panicle. Flowers are white, about 1.5 cm across; bracts 5-10 mm long, reddish when young, linear to linear-lanceshaped; flower-stalks up to 1.5 cm long. Sepals are 6-7 mm long, ovate-lanceshaped. Flower-tube is very long, 8-10 cm, hairless; petals ovate-oblong, 1.0-1.2 cm long, blunt. Drupe is about 1 cm in diameter, bluish-black, enclosed by enlarged red colored sepal-cup. Tubeflower is found in India, Burma, Malaysia, Indochina and Java. Flowering: July-October.
Medicinal uses: The bark of the root contains phenolic glycoside and seponin as active ingredient. Seponin is very helpful as an antihistamine agent thus is very much effective in preventing the bodies or over active reaction of the body towards any external agent entering the body. According to Ayurveda, it is a good anti-inflammatory agent and also helps in healing of wounds. It improves circulation of blood in the body. Bhangri is also helpful in improving the digestive activities of the body. It acts on respiratory system thus expelling out the excessive mucus in the tract relieving from cough, cold and asthmatic symptoms. It opens the body pores and increases the sweating in the body.

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The flower labeled Tubeflower is ...