Family: Plumbaginaceae
Synonyms: Plumbagidium auriculatum (Lam.) Spach, Plumbago capensis Thunb.
Common name: Plumbago, Cape Leadwort
Hindi: Nila chitrak नीला चित्रक
Manipuri: Telhidak (Manipuri)
Chinese: 蓝茉莉
Finnish: Sinilyijykukka
French: Plumbago du Cap, Dentelaire du Cap
German: Südafrikanische Bleiwurz, Kap-Bleiwurz
Description: Shrub, sometimes semi-climbing, up to 2 (-4) m. Leaves obovate or elliptic, glabrous above, bearing scales beneath; apex obtuse and mucronate. Peduncles bearing dense short white hairs. Calyx with short white hairs and in addition stalked glands in upper part. Corolla pale blue; lobes obtuse.
Plants evergreen shrubs. Stems erect, trailing, or climbing, diffusely branched, to 3+ m, glabrous or pubescent on youngest shoots. Leaves usually sessile, sometimes short-petiolate; blade elliptic, oblanceolate, or spatulate, (1-)2.5-9 × 0.5-2.5 cm, base usually long-attenuate, sometimes auriculate, apex acute or obtuse, mucronate. Inflorescences 2.5-3(-5) cm, rachises short-pilose (hairs ca. 0.1 mm), eglandular; floral bracts lanceolate, 3-9 × 1-2 mm. Flowers 3-stylous; calyx 10-13 mm, tube usually short-pilose and with stalked, capitate, glandlike protuberances ca. 1 mm along distal 1/ 3/ 4 of ribs; corolla pale blue, 37-53 mm, tube 28-40 mm (more than 2 times length of calyx), lobes 10-16 × 6-15 mm; stamens included or exserted. Capsules 8 mm. Seeds brown, 7 mm. 2n = 14 + 0-1B.
Used in Ayurveda and Sidha. The entire plant, especially the root, contains plumbagin, a toxic naphthoquinone derivative (oil of plumbago), which may cause severe skin irritation or blistering in humans and may also be toxic to other animals. Maceration of root and seed given in pyorrhea and dental caries. [CRC World Dictionary of MEDICINAL AND POISONOUS PLANTS]
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