Pentapetes phoenicea, bandhuka, goji-ka, flores de las doce, Arkavallabha

Pentapetes phoenicea L.
Family: Malvaceae

Synonyms: Blattaria phoenicea Kuntze, Brotera phoenicea (L.) Cav., Cavanilla phoenicea J.F.Gmel., Dombeya phoenicea Cav., Eriorhaphe phoenicea (L.) Bamps, Eriorhaphe punicea Miq.

English: flor impia
Chinese: 午时花 , 夜落金钱,
Hindi: बनधुका bandhuka, बनधुलि bandhuli, दोपाहािरया dopahariya, tambridupari तमिरदुपारी,
Japan: goji-ka
Philippines: a las doce, flores de las doce
Sanskrit: Bandhujiva, Arkavallabha
Sinhala:  Bandu-vada
Tamil: Nagappu

Description: Annual herbs, 0.5-1 m tall, sparsely stellate hairy. Petiole 1-2.5 cm; leaf blade linear-lanceolate, 5-10 × 1-2 cm, base broadly cuneate, rounded or truncate, margin crenate, apex acuminate. Flowers opening at noon, closing at dawn. Calyx lobes lanceolate, ca. 1 cm, abaxially stellate velutinous and hispid. Petals red, broadly ovate, ca. 12 mm. Staminodes tongue-shaped, 12-13 × ca. 1 mm. Ovary ovoid, villous; ovules 8-12 per cell; style filiform, glabrous, ca. 1 cm. Capsule nearly globose, ca. 1.2 cm in diam., densely stellate hairy and hispid, shorter than persistent calyx. Fl. summer-autumn.

Roots antibilious, for flatulence, stomachache. Flower paste given to cure abnormally heavy periodic flow. Mucilaginous capsules  for  diseases  of  bowels,  fruit  decoction  as  an emollient. [CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants]

Mucilaginous, used for the diseases of the bowels; a decoction is used as emollient. Root—astringent, antibilious, antiphlegmonous, febrifuge. [Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary]

This  herb is  used  as an  emollient.  The fruit  is mucilaginous.  The root is used medicinally  as it  is considered  astringent,  anti-bilious  and  anti-phlegmonous.  In  Celebes, the leaves  are  used  as  a  substitute  for  tea. [Medicinal Plants (Indigenous and Exotic) Used in Ceylon]

8 Published articles of Pentapetes phoenicea
1.    Therapeutic hypoglycemic potential of Pentapetes phoenicea L. in experimentally induced hyperglycemic rats Sharma, N., P.C. Gupta, and C.V. Rao, Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS, 2014. 17(5): p. 709-14.
2.    Pharmacognostical, p.i.a.H.f.o.P.p.L.l.N., Sharma, et al., Indian Journal of Natural Products and Resources, 2014. 5(2): p. 158-163.
3.    In-vitro antiradical and inhibitory potential of Pentapetes phoenicea Linn. leaves against digestive enzymes related to diabetes Nisha, S., P.C. Gupta, and C.V. Rao, Journal of Pharmacy Research, 2013. 6(5): p. 569-572.
4.    Brine shrimp bioassay of Pentapetes phoenicea Linn. and Ipomoea carnea Jacq. leaves Nisha, S., et al., Der Pharmacia Lettre, 2013. 5(1): p. 162-167.
5.    Rediscovery of a white flowered Pentapetes phoenicea Banerjee, A.K., H.S. Panday, and N.C. Majumdar, Plantsman, 1989. 10(4): p. 255-256.
6.    CYTOLOGY OF PENTAPETES-PHOENICEA Subrahmanyam, G.V., M.A. Nazeer, and D. Ohri, Cell and Chromosome Newsletter, 1980. 3(3): p. 48-49.
7.    Medicine for treating burn and scald, c.c.s., Chinese Lobelia, Begonia edulis, Angelica, Aloe, Pentapetes phoenicea, Cupparis spinosa and Monochoria vaginaliss Yang, J. Yang J.
8.    Drug composition used for treating diabetic foot, c.A.h., Pentapetes phoenicea, common fennel, palm, pubescent pepper herb, catechu, Bletilla striata, Metaplexis, Hibiscus flower, Microcos, sunflower root and licorice Qin, Y. Qin Y.