Pride Of India

Pride Of India

Family : Lythraceae

Characteristic Features:

Habit : A small tree.

Leaves : Opposite, oblong, lanceolate or elliptic, subacute, base acute or rounded, coriaceous.

Flowers : purple-violet, very beautiful, in large panicles of many flowers, pedicels stout, hairy.Calyx tubular, hairs white, ribbed with12-14 stout ridges.Petals 6, purple, roundovate, clawed, much wavy and crumpled, spreading.Stamens many, purple, inserted near the bottom of the calyx-tube much exserted.Ovary 3-6 celled, superior, sessile, ovules many, placenta axile, style long bent, stigma capitate.

Fruit : Capsules with loculicdal dehiscence, seeds many, winged at apex.

Flowering and Fruiting Time : April - July

Significance :

• Test tube plant, developed by John Paily
• Dr Kupper's Biotech Unit, Laboratort of Applied Biology

 

Source : Department of Botany