Jungle geranium

(Clicked by me) 

Jungle geranium  is a species of flowering plant in the Rubiaceae family.It is the national flower of Suriname.

Common name: Ixora, Jungle geranium, Cambodia: Kam rontea, Indonesia: Santan, Malay: Pechah priok, Vietnam: Dun trung quoc, dun do. 

Kingdom:Plants

Order:Gentianales

Subfamily:Ixoroideae

Tribe:Ixoreae

Genus:Ixora

Species:I. coccinea                                  

Flower color -Red; yellow; pink; white; orange

Flower characteristic Year-round flowering 

geranium is a small, dense, multi branched, glabrous evergreen shrub that normally grows about 4–6 ft.  but capable of reaching up to 12 ft.  high. It has a rounded form, with a spread that may exceed its height. The plant thrives best in light-texture, well-drained, fertile, acid soils with pH 5.0–5.5 and rich in organic matter. It does best in full sun but tolerates partial shading.  Stem is herbaceous, green, and aerial, erect, branched, cylindrical, and differentiating into nodes and internodes.It is a great low maintenance plant for attracting birds and butterflies to the garden.It is primarily ornamental plant. Cut specimens are long lasting and are often used in floral arrangements. It is sometimes used as a hedge.Fertile flowers are followed by fleshy globose berry that is 0.5 cm across, with persistent calyx. Fruits are initially green turning to dark red or purplish-black. When fully developed, there are two seeds per fruit

(Clicked by me) 

Red Ixora flowers are commonly used in Hindu worship.It is a favourite with bonsai growers and will flower when only a few inches high. The flowers, leaves, roots, and the stem are used to treat various ailments in the Indian traditional system of medicine, the Ayurveda, and in various folk medicines. The fruits, when fully ripe, are used as a dietary source.

•Used for dysenteric diarrhea and associated colic pains.

•Poulticed fresh leaves and stems for sprains, eczema, boils and contusions.

 •Flower decoction used for hypertension, amenorrhea and irregular menstruation, hemoptysis, catarrhal bronchitis.

•Decoction of leaves for wounds and skin ulcers.

•Flowers and bark used for blood-shot eyes, dysentery.

•Considered internally sedative, stomachic, tonic, antiseptic, cholagogue; externally, astringent and antiseptic.

•Hepatoprotective, chemoprotective, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory.

•Flowers considered cytotoxic, hepatoprotective, antimicrobial.

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