FoI
Arctic Snow
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Arctic Snow
ntroduced Photo: Anne Thingnam
Common name: Arctic Snow, Winter Cherry Tree, Milky way, Snowflake, Pudpitchaya, Sweet Indrajao, Hyamaraca • Sanskrit: Kutajah
Botanical name: Wrightia antidysenterica    Family: Apocynaceae (Oleander family)
Synonyms: Nerium antidysentericum, Nerium zeylanicum, Wrightia zeylanica

Arctic Snow is a small compact and bushy shrub growing up to 1.5 m tall. It blooms non stop all year-round. At full bloom, plant is covered with 1 inch white flowers that look like little stars, or with some imagination, snowflakes from a distance. Leaves are elliptic, glossy, evergreen. Native to Sri Lanka, it has become a sought after garden plant. Arctic Snow is native to Sri Lanka, cultivated worldwide.
Medicinal uses: The bark possesses anti-microbial and anti-infammatory properties and therefore the juice extracted from it is administered for mouth sores. The leaves are used in treating several skin disorders, psoriasis, nonspecific dermatitis etc. The bark is used as an adulterant for the well known drug, Holarrhena antidysenterica.

Identification credit: Prashant Awale Photographed in cultivation in Tripura.

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