Trees & Plants

Pink root

Valu kafa

Spigelia anthelmia L.

Common in open areas This is an important species in homeopathic system of medicine, used to cure heart diseases, headaches, neuralgia, migraines as well as inflammation of the iris. It is also designated to treat neuralgia of the trigeminal nerve and toothache caused by smoking

Details

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uses: This is an important species in homeopathic system of medicine, used to cure heart diseases, headaches, neuralgia, migraines as well as inflammation of the iris. It is also designated to treat neuralgia of the trigeminal nerve and toothache caused by smoking tobacco. at Th reat & damage: The plant can form dense thickets and smother native vegetation.
family: Loganiaceae
synonym: Spigelia fruticulosa Lam., Spigelia nervosa Steud.
description: Annual herbs. Leaves opposite, decussate, upper ones often verticillate, × 3-12 1-5 cm, ovate lanceolate, decurrent at base, acuminate at apex, scabrid above; lateral nerves 5-8 pairs, the basal pair sessile; stipules inter-petiolar, ovate, obtuse. Flowers in monochasial, trichotomous, terminal and axillary, up to 12 cm long cymes. Calyx 5-lobed, lobes unequal, 2.5- 4 cm long, linear lanceolate. Corolla pink, tube ca. 1 cm long; lobes 5, ovate-acute, 1.5 mm long. Stamens 5, included within by the corolla tube, filaments appendaged at Th the middle. Ovary sub-globose, bilocular; ovules 6-8 per locule; style terminal, 2 mm long, stigma ovate. Capsule sub-globose, with persistent style, 2-lobed, ca. 5-6 mm, papillose; seeds pyriform, rugose, brown to black.
native range: West Indies and South America
distribution: Naturalized in Africa, South Asia and Australia
english names: Pink root · Spigelia · Maryland pink
flowering fruiting: June-August
occurrence maldives: Common in open areas