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Blepharis integrifolia
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Family:
ACANTHACEAE
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Citation: Blepharis integrifolia (L. f.) E. Mey. ex Schinz, Vierteljahrsschr. Naturf. Ges. Zurich 60: 416. 1915; Vollesen, Blepharis Taxon. Rev. 173. 2000.
Acanthus integrifolius L. f., Suppl. Pl. 294. 1782.
Acanthus repens Vahl, Symb. Bot. 2: 76. 1791.
Blepharis molluginifolia Pers., Syn. Pl. 2. 180. 1806; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 4: 479. 1884; Gamble, Fl. Pres. Madras 1013(712). 1924.
Blepharis repens (Vahl) Roth, Nov. Pl. Sp. 321. 1821; Ramach. & V.J. Nair, Fl. Cannanore Dist. 334. 1988; Ramach. et al., Journ. Econ. Tax. Bot. 3: 659. 1982; Sasidh., Fl. Chinnar WLS 232. 1999; Ratheesh Narayanan, Fl. Stud. Wayanad Dist. 609. 2009.
Blepharis lawsonii G.S.Giri & R.N.Banerjee, Blumea 28: 363. 1983 p.p. quod T.A. Rao 8115.
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Malayalam Name(s):
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Tamil name(s):
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English name(s):
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Description:
Much branched creeping herbs; stems terete, often rooting at the nodes. Leaves simple, verticillate, usually 4 at nodes, sessile, obovate, 5-7 x 2.5-4 mm, coriaceous or subcoriaceous apex rounded or shortly mucronate, margin entire; lateral nerves obscure, younger leaves often sparsely setose. Flowers axillary, solitary, sessile; bracts 2, oblong, 0.75- 1.0 x 0.5-0.75 mm, apex apiculate, trinerved, margin setose ciliate towards apex; bacteoles 8 (4 pairs) apex acuminate, margin long ciliate, reticulate. Sepals 4 in two opposite pairs; membranous, outside puberulous, inside glabrous, margin ciliated, reticulate; outer pair larger, anterior sepal oblong or oblong- lanceolate, 8.5-9.5 x 2.5-3.0 mm, apex acute, trinerved, posterior sepal lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, 8.5-9.5 x 2.0-2.5 mm, apex bifid, binerved; inner pair, smaller, lanceolate, 7.0-7.5 x 2.0-2.5 mm, apex acuminate, uninerved. Corolla bilabiate; tube 3.5-4.5 mm long, outside glabrous, inside with a ring of plumose hairs below the attachment of stamens; upper lip very short or rudimentary; lower lip 5.5- 6.5 mm long, trilobed, middle lobe smaller, densely covered with hooked or deflexed white hairs inside. Stamens 4, equal, filaments 1.25-1.5 mm long, thicker at the base, glabrous, prolonged above the insertion of the anther; anthers 1.5-1.75 x 0.5 mm, one- celled, margin and apex long ciliated. Ovary cylindrical, 1.5 mm long, glabrous, style 2.5-3.0 mm long, glabrous, base of the style produced downwards encircling the top of the ovary forming an inverted cup-like structure, stigma inconspicuous.
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Habit:
Herb
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Flowering & Fruiting:
November-December
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District(s):
Idukki, Kannur, Thiruvananthapuram, Wayanad
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Medicinal:
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Habitat:
Deciduous forests and scrub jungles
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Distribution:
India and Sri Lanka
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Aquatic:
No
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Epiphyte(s):
No
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Saprophyte:
No
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Stem parasite:
No
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Root parasite:
No
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Flower colour(s):
Blue
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Weed:
No
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Monocot/Dicot:
Dicotyledonous Plants
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Exotic:
No
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Garden:
No
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Edible:
No
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Vegetable:
No
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Endemic to:
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IUCN status:
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Altitude:
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Localities:
Chinnar, Cannanore
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