Plumbago zeylanica

Plumbago zeylanica
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Plumbaginaceae
Genus: Plumbago
Species: P. zeylanica
Binomial name
Plumbago zeylanica
L.
Synonyms

Plumbago scandens L.[1]

Plumbago zeylanica, commonly known as Ceylon Leadwort or Doctorbush,[2] is a species of plumbago with a pantropical distribution. Carl Linnaeus described the paleotropical P. zeylanica and neotropical P. scandens as separate species, but they are currently considered synonymous. Ceylon Leadwort is a herbaceous plant with glabrous stems that are climbing, prostrate, or erect. The leaves are petiolate or sessile and have ovate, lance-elliptic, or spatulate to oblanceolate blades that measure 5-9 × 2.5-4 cm in length. Bases are attenuate while apexes are acute, acuminate, or obtuse. Inflorescences are 3-15 cm in length and have glandular, viscid rachises. Bracts are lanceolate and 3-7 × 1-2 mm long. The heterostylous flowers have white corollas 17-33 mm in diameter and tubes 12.5-28 mm in length. Capsules are 7.5-8 mm long and contain are reddish brown to dark brown seeds.[1]

Plant extracts have shown potent mosquito larvicidal activity against the larvae of Aedes aegypti while showing no toxicity to fish[3]

Hexane extracts of Plumbago zeylanica have shown activity against canine distemper virus.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b "Plumbago zeylanica Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 151. 1753.". Flora of North America. eFloras.org. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200017527. Retrieved 2011-06-30. 
  2. ^ "Taxon: Plumbago zeylanica L.". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 1996-03-19. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?28879. Retrieved 2011-02-23. 
  3. ^ Patil CD, Patil SV, Salunke BK, Salunkhe RB"Bioefficacy of Plumbago zeylanica (Plumbaginaceae) and Cestrum nocturnum (Solanaceae) plant extracts against Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicide) and nontarget fish Poecilia reticulata. Parasitol Res." 2011 May;108(5):1253-63
  4. ^ Bagla VP, McGaw LJ, Eloff JN"The antiviral activity of six South African plants traditionally used against infections in ethnoveterinary medicine." Vet Microbiol. 2011 Sep 17;

External links

Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Plumbago_zeylanica Plumbago zeylanica] at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Plumbago zeylanica at Wikispecies