FoI
Porcupine Flower
Share Foto info
Porcupine Flower
P Native Photo: Shaista Ahmad
Common name: Porcupine Flower, Common yellow nail dye, thorny nail dye • Bengali: কণ্টঝিন্টি kantajhinti, পীতঝিন্টি pitajhinti • Gujarati: પીળો કાંટાશેળીયો pilo kantasheliyo • Hindi: झिण्टी jhinti, परुष parush, पीला पियाबांसा pila piyabansa, पीली कटसरैया pili katsaraiya, वज्रदंती vajradanti • Kachchhi: કંઢા આસેરીઓ kandha aserio, કાંટા આસેરીઓ kanta aserio • Kannada: ಹಳದಿ ಗೋರಟೆ haladi gorate, ಕುರಂಟಕ kurantaka, ಮದರಂಗಿ ಗಿಡ madarangi gida, ಮುಳ್ಳುಗೋರಣ್ಟ mullugoranta • Konkani: कोरांटी koranti • Malayalam: ചെമ്മുള്ളി chemmulli, മന്ജകനകമ്ബരമ് Manjakanakambaram, മഞ്ഞക്കനകാംബരം mannakkanakambaram • Marathi: कोळिता kolita, पिवळी कोरांटी pivali koranti • Odia: ଦାସକେରେଣ୍ଟା daskaranta, କଣ୍ଟା ମାଳତି kanta malati, ପୀତ pita, ପୀତକା pitaka, ପୀତ କୁରବକ pita kurabaka, ପୁର pura, ସୁପୀତ supita • Sanskrit: आर्तगलः artagalah, बाण bana, दासी कुरण्टकः dasi kurantakah, झिण्टी jhinti, ककुभ kakubha, किङ्किरातः kinkiratah, कुरण्टकः kurantakah, कुरवकः kuravakah, महासह mahasaha, मृदुकण्टः mrdukantah, पीतकुरण्टकः pitakurantakah, पीतकुरवः pitakuravah, पीतम्लानः pitamlanah, पीतपुष्पकः pitapushpakah, पीतसैरीयकः pitasairiyakah, सहचरः sahacharah, उद्यानपाकी udyanapaki, वज्रदन्ती vajradanti • Tamil: செம்முள்ளி cem-mulli, கோரண்டம் korantam, கொடிப்பசலை koti-p-pacalai, கொவிந்தம் kovintam, குறிஞ்சி kurinci, குடான் kutan, மஞ்சட்செம்முள்ளி mancat-cemmulli • Telugu: గోరంటచెట్టు gorantachettu, ముల్లుగోరంట mullu goranta • Tulu: ಆನೆ ಗೋರಂಟ ane gorante, ಜೆಂಟೆ ಪು gente pu, ಗೋರಂಟ gorante, ಗೋರಟೆ ದೈ gorate dai, ಮಂಜಲ್ ಗೊರಂಟಿ manjal goranti Source: Names of Plants in India
Botanical name: Barleria prionitis    Family: Acanthaceae (Acanthus family)
Synonyms: Barleria appressa, Barleria coriacea, Barleria spicata
Porcupine flower is an erect, prickly shrub, usually single-stemmed, growing to about 1.5 m tall. Spines are about 1.2 cm long. Leaves are up to 5-9 x 2.5-4 cm, elliptic, pointed, with a fine point, base wedge-shaped, sparsely puberulus, fringed with hairs on the margins, gland dotted beneath, leaf-stalk up to 2 cm. Orange-yellow flowers are borne in cymes in leaf-axils; bracts 2, 1.5 cm, oblong with a fine point at the tip. Outer sepals are 1.3 x 0.4 cm, inner 1.1 x 0.2 cm, fine-tipped, hairy. Flower tube is 2.5 cm, petals 2 cm obovate, filaments 1.3 cm, staminodes 2, remaining at the base of the flower tube. Ovary is 2.5 mm, style 2.5 cm. Porcupine flower is found in Tropical Africa and Asia.
Medicinal uses: Porcupine Flower has numerous medicinal properties including treating fever, respiratory diseases, toothache, joint pains and a variety of other ailments; and it has several cosmetic uses. A mouthwash made from root tissue is used to relieve toothache and treat bleeding gums. The whole plant, leaves, and roots are used for a variety of purposes in traditional Indian medicine. For example, the leaves are used to promote healing of wounds and to relieve joint pains and toothache. Because of its antiseptic properties, extracts of the plant are incorporated into herbal cosmetics and hair products to promote skin and scalp health.
Identification credit: Thingnam Sophia Photographed in Delhi.
• Is this flower misidentified? If yes,