Thunbergia fragrans, Indrapushpam, Chimin

Thunbergia fragrans Roxb.
Family: Acanthaceae

Common name: White Clock-Vine, White Lady, white thunbergia
Chinese: 铁贯藤 
Hindi: चिमीन Chimin
Japan: yahazu-kazura
Malayalam: Noorvan-valli
Marathi: चिमीन Chimine
Malayalam: Noorvan-valli
Spanish: Flor de nieve
Tamil: இந்த்ரபுஸ்பம் Indrapushpam, Kaasanangaai, Thannikkodi 
Othe rnames: benne  balli,  chakrakedar,  chimiti,  hegala  balli, indrapushapa, indrapushpa balli, indrathige, indratige, intiraputpi,  jimandaarathige,  koligokke,  kolikka,  kolikokka, kolikokkai,  koliokokkai,  noorvan  valli,  palatheega,  simiti, vengachchaan poovu

Description: A slender, herbaceous twiner or climber with quadrangular strigose young shoots. Leaves with 2-4.5 cm long, slender petiole; lamina broadly elliptic to ovate or lanceolate-ovate, (3-) 4-10 x (1.5) 2-5 (-6) cm, entire or few toothed, sparsely strigose on both sides near the truncate to cordate base, palmately 3-5-nerved, acute-acuminate. Flowers white, 4-5 cm long, c. 5 cm across, solitary axillary, on 2-7 cm long stout pedicels; bracts connate and spathaceous, oblong-lanceolate, 1.5-2 cm x c. 6-8 mm, ± acute, hairy. Calyx cupular with 12-16, subulate, 1-3 mm long, glandular hairy teeth. Corolla tube cylindrical, 2-2.5 cm long; lobes 5, subequal, nearly as long as tube, puberulous outside. Staminal filaments glandular-hairy below; anthers oblong, slightly beaked above, without spur at base. Style c. 2 cm long. Capsule depressed globose, c. 8 mm across, scabrid, puberulent, with 1-1.5 cm long beak. Seeds reticulate. 

Used in Sidha. Tender twigs made into a paste applied all over the body against the fever. Leaves used as poultice in skin diseases; tender leaf juice poured in nose and the paste applied  on  face  for  giddiness,  and  on  forehead  for  head-ache;  crushed  leaves  decoction  drunk  for  paralysis;  leaf paste applied on cuts and wounds; leaves ground with cumin mixed in water and taken orally as abortifacient. Fresh root juice used as eye drops. Magico-religious beliefs, to keep off evil spirits and ghosts, flowers paste applied all over the body and fruits tied as a necklace. [CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants]

7 Published articles of Thunbergia fragrans
1.    Evaluation of antidiarrhoeal activity of Thunbergia fragrans Roxb Shekhar, D.S., et al., Asian Journal of Chemistry, 2007. 19(4): p. 2792-2796.
2.    Apigenin glycosides from Thunbergia fragrans and Ruellia tuberosa Nair, A.G.R. and S.S. Subramanian, Current Science, 1974. 43(15): p. 480-480.
3.    APIGENIN GLYCOSIDES FROM THUNBERGIA-FRAGRANS AND RUELLIA-TUBEROSA Nair, A.G.R. and Subraman.Ss, Current Science, 1974. 43(15): p. 480-480.
4.    On teratology in some angiosperms from Bombay. HI. Thunbergia fragrans Roxb Mahajan, M.K., Sci and Culture, 1957. 23((1)): p. 60-61.
5.    Results of some preliminary investigations on the control of weeds in Mauritius. 6. Some twining weeds: Paederia foetida ("liane lingue"), I.c.l.l.A., Rev Agric He Maurice, 1947. 26((1)): p. 3-10.
6.    Oral liquid useful for relieving anxiety of students prepared using e.g. Leontopodium leontopodioides, C.b., herba lysimachiae insignis, white lettuce, Polygala wattersii, Thunbergia fragrans and Myosoton aquaticum Xu, J. Xu J.
7.    Brown rice shrimp cake comprises shrimp, c., bunge cherry seed, arborvitae seed, Caragana microphylla root, pipewort, Vitex quinata root, Thunbergia fragrans root, yellow wine, brown rice, melon, white canary tree fruit, and beef Lu, Z., J. Tong, and J. Zong. Anhui Hongyun Food Co Ltd.