Premna serratifolia

Premna serratifolia
Green leaves with tiny green fruit
Leaves and young fruit of P. serratifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Verbenaceae
Genus: Premna
Species: P. serratifolia
Binomial name
Premna serratifolia
L.
Synonyms
  • Premna integrifolia L.
  • Premna obtusifolia R.Br.

Premna serratifolia (Sanskrit : Agnimantha, अग्निमंथ; Marathi and Malayalam :Arani, अरणी, Tagalog : Alagaw )[1] is a small tree/shrub[2] in the Verbenaceae family. It flowers and fruits between May and November.[3] During flowering season, it attracts a large number of butterflies and bees.[4]

Habitat

It mostly grow in moist sandy soil and scrub jungles along seacoasts and mangrove forests[3]

Description

Trees, to 7 m high. Leaves simple, opposite, estipulate; petiole 4–14 mm, slender, pubescent, grooved above; lamina 2.5-8.5 x 2-7.2 cm, elliptic, elliptic-oblong, base acute, obtuse, subcordate or rounded, apex acuminate, mucronate, obtuse, margin entire or subserrate, glabrous above except along the appressed midrib, chartaceous; lateral nerves 3-5 pair, pinnate, prominent, puberulous beneath; intercostae reticulate, obscure. Flowers bisexual, greenish-white, in terminal corymbose panicled cymes; bracts small; calyx small campanulate, 2 lipped, 5 lobed; corolla tube short, villous inside, lobes 5; stamens 4, didynamous, inserted below the throat of the corolla tube; anther ovate; ovary superior, 2-4-celled, ovules 4; style linear; stigma shortly bifid. Fruit a drupe, seated on the calyx, globose, purple; seeds oblong.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Pharmacographia Indica
  2. ↑ Description given by G. Renu, Sanjana Julias Thilakar, D. Narasimhan, Centre for Floristic Research, Department of Botany, Madras Christian College, Tambaram. Referred from indiabiodiversity portal http://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/230814
  3. 1 2 3 Described by Dr. N Sasidharan (Dr. B P Pal Fellow), Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi in Indiabiodiversity portal http://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/230814
  4. ↑ The media files included gives the required verity.
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