Plumbago zeylanica

Plumbago zeylanica
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Plumbaginaceae
Genus: Plumbago
Species: P. zeylanica
Binomial name
Plumbago zeylanica
Synonyms

Plumbago scandens L.[1]

Plumbago zeylanica, commonly known as Ceylon leadwort, doctorbush[2] or wild leadwort,[3] is a species of plumbago with a pantropical distribution. Carl Linnaeus described the paleotropical P. zeylanica and neotropical P. scandens as separate species, but they are currently considered synonymous.

Ecology and Distribution

Plumbago zeylanica grows throughout tropical climates and can be found in Australia and India. It grows in monsoon forests and around Olea tree trunks and vine thickets.[4][5] It grows at altitudes below 900 m.

Plumbago zelanica is the food plant for the Leptotes plinius or the Zebra blue butterfly during its larvae stage.[4]

Appearance

Plumbago zeylanica is a herbaceous plant with glabrous stems that are climbing, prostrate, or erect. The leaves are petiolate or sessile and have ovate, lance-elliptic, or spatulate to oblanceolate blades that measure 5-9 × 2.5–4 cm in length. Bases are attenuate while apexes are acute, acuminate, or obtuse. Inflorescences are 3–15 cm in length and have glandular, viscid rachises. Bracts are lanceolate and 3-7 × 1–2 mm long. The heterostylous flowers have white corollas 17–33 mm in diameter and tubes 12.5–28 mm in length. Capsules are 7.5–8 mm long and contain are reddish brown to dark brown seeds.[1]

Traditional medicine

Early folk medicine used the crushed plant internally and externally as an abortifacient as well as a treatment for leprosy.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 "Plumbago zeylanica Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 151. 1753". Flora of North America. eFloras.org. Retrieved 2011-06-30.
  2. ↑ "Plumbago zeylanica". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2011-02-23.
  3. ↑ "Plumbago zeylanica". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Factsheet - Plumbago zeylanica". keys.trin.org.au. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  5. 1 2 G., Miller, Anthony (1988). Plants of Dhofar, the southern region of Oman : traditional, economic, and medicinal uses. Morris, Miranda., Stuart-Smith, Susanna., Oman. Office of the Adviser for Conservation of the Environment. [Muscat]: Prepared and published by the Office of the Adviser for Conservation of the Environment, Diwan of Royal Court, Sultanate of Oman. p. 232. ISBN 0715708082. OCLC 20798112.
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