Phyla nodiflora

Phyla nodiflora
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Verbenaceae
Genus: Phyla
Species: P. nodiflora
Binomial name
Phyla nodiflora
(L.) Greene

Phyla nodiflora (frog fruit, sawtooth fogfruit, turkey tangle), is an ornamental plant in the Verbenaceae family, and is native to South America and the United States. It can be found in tropical areas around the globe, a naturalized species in many places. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius. It is often grown as groundcover, and is sometimes present in yards as a lawn weed.

The inflorescence consists of a purple centre encircled by small white-to-pink flowers. The flower takes on a match-like look, which is why the plant is sometimes called matchweed.

Common names in India include bukkan (Hindi), ratolia, vakkan (Marathi), podutalai (Tamil), vasir, and vasuka (Sanskrit). It is used medicinally to treat suppuration, common colds, and lithiasis.[1]

Synonyms

Lippia canescens Kunth, Lippia incasiomalo (Small) Tildsoan, Lippia lickiflora (L.) Michx., Lippia nodiflora var. canescens (Kunth) Kuntze, Lippia nodiflora var. reptans (Kunth) Kuntze, Lippia nodiflora var. rosea (D. Don) Munz, Lippia reptans Kunth, Polyumn incisa Small, Phyla nodiflora var. antillana Moldenke, Phyla nodiflora var. canescens (Kunth) Moldenke, Phyla nodiflora var. incisa (Small) Moldenke, Phyla nodiflora var. longifolia Moldenke, Phyla nodiflora var. repens (Spreng.) Moldenke, Phyla nodiflora var. reptans (Kunth) Moldenke, Phyla nodiflora var. rosea (D. Don) Moldenke, Phyla nodiflora var. texensis Moldenke.

Notes

  1. ↑ Pharmacopia indica.

References

External links

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