Clerodendrum indicum (L.) Kuntze

Clerodendrum species are trees, erect or rambling shrubs, rarely herbs. Branches terete, quadrangular, glabrous or pubescent. Leaves simple, decussate-opposite or whorled in 3’s or 4’s, petiolate or sessile, exstipulate. Inflorescence axillary cyme, terminal thyrse or rarely corymb. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, calyx campanulate rarely tubular 5 lobed, rarely 2-4 lobed, accrescent in fruit, corolla hypocrateriform, actinomorphic to subactinomorphic, 5 unequal lobed, stamens 4, didynamous to subequal, exserted, filaments filiform, anthers versatile, 2 loculed, ovary bicarpellary, 4 lobed, 4 loculed, style filiform, stigma shortly 2-fid, Fruit drupaceous with 4 pyrenes or schizocarp, seeds pyrenes, nonendospermous.

Flowering class: Dicot Habit: Shrub

Flowering and fruiting: September-December

Flowering :October-May and Fruit ripen :December - August.

Clerodendrum species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects. Flowering/Fruiting: Almost throughout the year.

Seeds dispersed by barochory i.e., gravitational dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds and animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Shrub about 5-10 ft tall. Bark ashy-grey and smooth. Stem and branches fluted hollow, subglabrous, virgate, obtusely quadrangular, nodes annulate. Leaves in whorls of 3-6, narrow lanceolate or oblong lanceolate, base acute or cuneate, margins entire or minutely serrate, apex shallow acuminate, chartaceous, glabrous, dark green above, slightly paler, punctuate beneath, lateral veins 6-10 on either side of the midrib, usually meeting in a continuous line somewhat inside the margin, ascending, impressed about and prominent beneath, base tapering, petiole sessile or subsessile up to 0.5 cm long. Inflorescence cymes axillary, drooping solitary or whorled few flowered, peduncle terete about 2-7 cm long, glabrous, bracts linear or linear lanceolate, bractlets linear. Flowers bisexual, handsome, creamish white, pedicels terete, purplish green about 0.5-2.5 cm long, calyx campanulate, 5 toothed, deeply divided, inflated, green, corolla hypocrateriform, 5 lobed, creamish white, lobes oblong or obovate, reflexed, obtuse about 1.5 cm long, corolla tube slender, curvate, glabrous or very slightly hairy outside about 12 cm long, stamens 4 didynamous, exserted, filaments slender, about 3.5 cm long, purple or brown, anthers oblong, purple, ovary bicarpellary, ovoid, 4 lobed, 4 loculed, about 0.2 cm across, style filiform, purple, stigma shortly 2-fid. Fruit drupaceous, globose, about 1 cm in diameter with 4 pyrenes, fleshy, purplish black when ripe, fruiting calyx accrescent about 2.5 cm across, crimson red.

An erect shrub with fluted hollow stem. Leaves in whorls of 3-6, 3-8 by 0.5-1.5 inch., narrow-lanceolate, linear, entire or serrate, acuminate, glabrous, Flowers beautiful white or cream coloured, drooping on opposite or whorled few flowered cymes forming a large rigid panicle, bracts linear or linear-lanceolate. Fruit is drupe with blue colour

Susceptible to insect pests.

Notes: Grown as ornamental

Moist places, near streams and hedges.

Scrub jungles

Forested areas

It is found throughout the state common in open areas, near paddy field, sandy areas

Rare

Plant extract is mixed with ghee for various skin diseases. Root used in asthma. Smokes of dried leaves are used to treat cough. Leaves used as vermifuge.

Medicinal

Leaves are used as vegetable, it is quite bitter in taste