Malabar Melastome

The scientific name of Malabar Melastome: Melastoma malabathricum ssp.

Name of Malabar Melastome in different languages:-

English: Indian-rhododendron

Sanskrit: gharapathri, Jalashani

Hindi: Shapti

Tamil: Kadalai, Nakkukaruppan

Malayalam: Palore, Athirani, Kalampotti, Kalathi

Plant description:

It is an evergreen shrub, grow up to 2 m tall, commonly in the wetland area, branched, flowering plant. Leaves are rough, hairy, elliptic-oblong to lanceolate, size up to 15 cm long and 6.5 cm broad, base rounded occasionally acute, apex pointed.The flowers are pink, 5 petals, flowers are arranged in around 1 to 5 clusters. Fruits are a capsule or berry-like, pinkish green, about .25 cm diameter, contain numerous seeds inside, coated with a sweet astringent pulp.

Leaf Arrangement

Shape-Lanceolate	Margin-Entire	Venation-parallel

Two varieties of Melastoma malabathricum: ചിറ്റതിരാണി- osbeckia aspera, കുഞ്ഞതിരാണി-osbeckia muralis

Useful plant parts:

Leaf, flowers

Medicinal uses:

To treat Piles, varicose vein, wound healer, diarrhoea.

Medicinal properties:

Antiseptic, astringent, antioxidant, cytotoxic activities and anti-leucorrhoeic.

Chemical contents:

Tannin, Naringenin, Kaempferol