FoI
East-Indian Pollia
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East-Indian Pollia
P Native Photo: Tabish
Common name: East-Indian Pollia • Mizo: Dawngpui
Botanical name: Pollia hasskarlii    Family: Commelinaceae (Dayflower family)
Synonyms: Pollia aclisia var. robusta

East-Indian Pollia is a perennial herb with stems ascending, up to 1 m x 1 cm, hairless. It has been named in honor of Justus Karl Hasskarl (1811-1894), German-born Dutch botanist. Leaves are stalkless or base narrowed into a short leaf-stalk; leaf sheath 3-5 cm, hairless. Leaves are elliptic or obovate-inverted-lanceshaped, 15-35 x 4-9 cm, hairless on both surfaces. Flower-clusters are usually shorter than distal leaves; flower-cluster-stalk 5-10 cm, densely whitish glandular; cincinni numerous, about 2 cm, usually not in whorls, densely whitish glandular; involucral bracts about 10 mm, densely whitish glandular, falling off; bracts membranous. Sepals are nearly ovate, shallowly boat-shaped, 3-4 mm, below finely velvet-hairy glandular, falling off. Petals are white or pale purple, obovate, about 5 mm. Stamens are 6, all fertile. Fruits are spherical, 4-5 mm in diameter. East-Indian Pollia is found in Shaded places in ravines or dense forests, near sea level to 1700 m, in China, Bhutan, E India, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam. Flowering: March-June.

Identification credit: M. Sawmliana Photographed in Leimaram, Manipur & Tamdil, Mizoram.

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