Justicia adhatoda (ആടലോടകം)

 7

 Justicia adhatoda (ആടലോടകം)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Angiosperms
Class:	Eudicots
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Acanthaceae
Genus:	Justicia
Species:	J. adhatoda
Binomial name
Justicia adhatoda

Justicia adhatoda commonly known in English as Malabar nut, adulsa, adhatoda, vasa, vasaka,is native to Asia.

The plant's native range is Afghanistan, the Indian subcontinent (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka), Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. It has been introduced elsewhere.

Description

Justicia adhatoda is a shrub with 10-20 lance-shaped leaves 8-9 centimeters in length by four wide. They are oppositely arranged, smooth-edged, and borne on short petioles.When dry they are of a dull brownish-green colour. They are bitter-tasting. When a leaf is cleared with chloral hydrate and examined microscopically the oval stomata can be seen. They are surrounded by two crescent-shaped cells at right angles to the ostiole. The epidermis bears simple one- to three-celled warty hairs, and small glandular hairs. Cystoliths occur beneath the epidermis of the underside of the blade.

The trunk has many long opposite ascending branches, where the bark is yellowish in color. Flowers are usually white and the inflorescence shows large, dense, axillary spikes. Fruits are pubescent, and are with club-shaped capsules

Reference Link

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justicia_adhatoda

================================

Medicinal Plants Garden

MTM College of Arts Science and Commerce. 

Veliyancode. 

Website: https://www.mtmcasc.ac.in/