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Bell Weed
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Bell Weed
ative Photo: Tabish
Common name: Bell Weed, Prostrate Wild Petunia, Black weed • Bengali: ধমনী Dhamani • Dogri: वन बसूटी Van Basuti • Gujarati: કાળી ધામણ ઢોકળી Kali Dhaman Dhokali, કાલી ઘાવણી Kali Ghavani • Hindi: धामिन Dhamin • Kannada: ಭೀಮನ ಸೊಪ್ಪು Bheemana Soppu • Malayalam: ഉപ്പുതാളി Upputhaali • Marathi: भुई रुवेल Bhui Ruwel, काळी धावणी Kali Dhawani • Rajasthani: काली घावणी Kali Ghavani • Tamil: போட்டகாஞ்சி Pottakanchi • Telugu: మాను పత్రి Maanu Pathri, నేల నీలాంబరము Nela Neelaambaramu Source: Names of Plants in India
Botanical name: Ruellia prostrata    Family: Acanthaceae (Acanthus family)
Synonyms: Dipteracanthus prostratus, Ruellia patula var. prostrata
Bell Weed is a prostrate perennial herb, with stems often rooting at the nodes. Ovate green leaves, 2-10 cm long, have lower surface conspicuously paler. Leaf stalk is 5-30 mm long. Flowers occur solitary in the leaf axils, each one subtended by oblanceolate to ovate bracts 1.5-2.3 cm long. Sepals 5, linear, 6-10 mm long. Flowers are violet blue to occasionally nearly white, 2.4-3.2 cm long, the petals slightly spreading. Capsules club-shaped, 1.5-2 cm long, densely covered with fine hairs. Flowering: August-September.
Medicinal uses: Believed to be anticancer against the epidermis of the nasopharynx region and slightly hypoglycemic.
Identification credit: Uluberia Botanical Institute Photographed in Goa.
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