Common name: Indian Heliotrope, Erysipelas plant, Scorpion weed, Indian turnsole, Wild clary • Hindi: Siriyari, Hatishura • Manipuri: Leihenbi • Marathi: Bhurundi • Tamil: Thel - Kodukku • Malayalam: Thekkada • Telugu: Nagadanthi • Kannada: Chelukondi gida • Bengali: Hasti-sura • Oriya: Hati-sand • Konkani: Ajeru
Botanical name: Heliotropium indicum Family: Boraginaceae (Forget-me-not family)
Indian Heliotrope is a herb, slightly woody at base, with a long taproot, stem erect, unbranched or branches few, 30-80 cm tall; leaves alternate or sometimes subopposite, distinctly petiolate, petioles to 5 cm long, blade long-decurrent on petiole from a subtruncate base, ovate-deltoid, margin slightly wavy-crisped, 2.5-10 cm long, 1-5 cm wide, acute (blunt), lateral veins 4-7 pairs. Inflorescence terminal, tip coiled, axis up to 20 cm long.
The inflorescence uncoils after the central flowers, which are the oldest, mature. The flowers are arranged on only one side of the inflorescence. Flowers are pale violet (lilac) with a yellow throat, but fading to dull white, calyx-lobes linear-lanceolate, ciliate, 2 mm long; corolla-tube 4-5 mm long; petals rounded. Fruit is 3.5 mm long, ovoid, ribbed, separating into 2 nutlets each 2-celled, 3-3.5 mm long.
Identification credit: Kiran Srivastava
| Photographed in Sanjay Gandhi National park, Mumbai. |
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