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Clinacanthus nutans
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Family:
ACANTHACEAE
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Citation: Clinacanthus nutans Lindau, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 18: 63. 1894.
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Malayalam Name(s):
Vishamooli
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Tamil name(s):
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English name(s):
Snake plant
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Description:
Shrubs to 1 m tall; stems terete, striate, glabrescent. Leaves opposite, 7-12 × 1-4 cm, lanceolate-ovate, lanceolate, or linear-lanceolate, base cuneate to rounded, margin subentire to sinuate-crenate, apex acuminate, surfaces glabrescent except abaxially pilose along veins; lateral veins 4-6 pairs; petiole 0.3-2 cm, sulcate. Racemes 1 to several at or near shoot apex, usually 3 to several forming a terminal panicle; rachis glandular pubescent; bracts and bracteoles linear, ca. 8 × 2 mm, abaxially gland-tipped pilose, apex acute. Calyx 0.9-1.3 cm; lobes linear, outside glandular pilose, apex acute. Corolla dull red with a green base, 3-4.2 cm, outside gland-tipped pilose, inside glabrous except for a ring of trichomes ca. 5 mm above base; tube basally cylindric for ca. 5 mm and ca. 3 mm wide then gradually widened to ca. 6 mm at mouth; lower lip 1-2 × ca. 1 cm, with yellow streaks; upper lip triangular, 1-2 × ca. 0.5 cm, erect, apex emarginate; lobes ovate, 3-5 × 1-2 mm. Stamens exserted from mouth of corolla; filaments 1-1.5 cm, glabrous; anthers ovate-linear, 4-5 × ca. 1 mm, muticous. Style 3-3.7 cm, base sparsely pubescent. Capsule ca. 2 cm, pilose; seeds ca. 2 mm in diam.
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Habit:
Shrub
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Flowering & Fruiting:
December-April
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District(s):
All Districts
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Medicinal:
Yes
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Habitat:
Grown as medicinal plants
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Distribution:
South East Asia
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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):
Red
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Weed:
No
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Monocot/Dicot:
Dicotyledonous Plants
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Exotic:
Yes
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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:
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