Endangered Species 04 : Munronia pinnata (Wall.) Theob

Scientific classification

            Kingdom: Plantae

Family: Acanthaceae

Genus: Munronia

Species: Munronia pinnata (Wall.) Theob.

Description

Usually unbranched shrublet, 5- 30 cm tall, stems up to 7 mm diameter, root system with a tap root. Leafy shoots with leaves forming an apical rosette. Flowers hermaphrodite and in few flowered thyrses or solitary. Fruit a 5-valved loculicidal capsule, each locule 1 or 2 seeds. Seeds are brown.

There are morphological variations among populations through out its geographical range especially in leaf habit, leaflet number, leaf shape, leaf margin, colour of marginal vein, hairiness of plants colour of flowers.

Distribution

Found in southern and northeastern India, Nepal to South China, Vietnam, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Jawa, Bali, Sumba, Flores, Solor and Timor. Cultivated in Europe in glass houses.In Sri Lanka this plant has been recorded in Ritigala, Doluwa, Naula, Mathurata, Haldumulla, Wellawaya, Balangoda, Katharagama, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa and Lunugala areas.

Medicinal value

The entire plant is used for medicinal purposes to treat fever, dysentery, leprosy and other skin diseases and for purification of blood