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Common Glorybower
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Common Glorybower
ative elliptic Photo: Thingnam Girija
Common name: Common Glorybower, Indian privet, Seaside clerodendrum, Wild Jasmine, Sorcerers Bush • Hindi: chhoti-ari, संकुप्पी sankuppi, sangan-kuppi, vilayati mehendi, batraj • Marathi: sangam, वनजाई vanajai, sirit-mari • Tamil: சங்கம் Sangam, Peechangu, அந்ஜலீ Anjali • Malayalam: nirnochi, shangam-kuppi • Telugu: erup-pichha, pisangi, pishinika, takkolapu-chettu • Kannada: ನಾಯಿತೆಕ್ಕಿಲೆ Naitekkile, ಇಟ್ಟೇವು Ittevu, ಕುಂಡಲಿ ಗಿಡ Kundali gida, Naayi tekkake, ತಕ್ಕೋಲಿಕ Thakkolika, ವಿಷಮಧಾರಿ • Bengali: বনজাঈ Banajai • Oriya: vଅନଜାଈ Vanajai • Urdu: گل دمدم Guldamdam • Sanskrit: कुंडली Kundali
Botanical name: Volkameria inermis    Family: Verbenaceae (Verbena family)
Synonyms: Clerodendrum inerme, Clerodendrum ovalifolium

Common Glorybower is a much branched, straggling shrub, 1-2 m tall. Terminal branches very often twining slender, twigy, dark green and form dense bush on the river banks and river slopes. Leaves ovate to elliptical, 5-10 cm long, acute to acuminate tip, green, smooth, slightly shiny upper surface, margins entire, leaves opposite, simple. Cymes or umbels usually comprised of 3 flowers joined at a common base point. White flowers with a 3.5-5.5 cm long narrow tube ending in 5 petals. Four purple stamens, 1.5-3 cm long, protrude out of the flower. The plant is tough - takes trimming well, and hence, is commonly used as a hedge plant in India. It also grows well on the beach, tolerating all the salty water sprays. Within India, it is found throughout particularly near coastal regions and in Western Himalaya. Flowering: November-January.

Identification credit: Radhika Vathsan Photographed in Delhi & Bangalore.

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