Melochia corchorifolia L. - chocolateweed
MH021 : Melochia corchorifolia L.
| Plant Category | : | Herbs |
| Melghat's Flora's Serial No. | : | 48 |
| Synonym | : | Lochemia corchorifolia Arn.;
Lochemia corchorifolia Arn.;
Melochia affinis Wall.;
Melochia borbonica Cav.;
Melochia concatenata L.;
Melochia fasciculata Noronha;
Melochia pauciflora Wall.;
Melochia supina L.;
Melochia truncata Willd.;
Mougeotia corchorifolia (L.) Kunth;
Polychlaena ramosa G. Don;
Polychlaena simplex G. Don;
Riedlea borbonica (Cav.) DC.;
Riedlea capitata Boj.;
Riedlea concatenata (L.) DC.;
Riedlea corchorifolia (L.) DC.;
Riedlea radiata Bl.;
Riedlea supina (L.) DC.;
Riedlea truncata DC.;
Visenia concatenata Spreng.;
Visenia corchorifolia (L.) Spreng.;
Visenia supina Spreng.; |
| Plant Common Name | : | Chocolate Weed, Wire bush, Redweed, Tikiokra, Bilpat, chitrabee, Lahan methuri |
| Plant Family | : | Sterculiaceae |
| Description | : | Erect branched herbs. Young stem, petioles, bracts and calyx lobes stellate hairy mixed with simple hairs. Leaves varying in size and shape, 2 - 5 x 1 - 2.5 cm, ovate- oblong, cordate or attenuate at base, margin serrate, acute at apex, sparsely hairy on nerves on both sides; petioles to 1 cm long. Flowers in terminal, capitate cymes. Bracts 2-3 mm long, linear-lanceolate, ciliate on margins. Calyx 5-lobed, campanulate, 2-3 mm long; lobes lanceolate, ciliate, Corolla pink, 5, 2-4 mm, obovate, obtuse or retuse at apex. Stamens 5, filaments united at base. Ovary c. 1 mm long, ovoid, 5-celled; ovules 2 in each cells; styles 5. Capsule 3-4 mm, sub - globose, 5- valved. Seeds angular or plano-convex, dark brown or greyish. |
| Plant Location in Melghat | : | In Semadoh, Harisal, Kolkaz |
| Medicinal Use / Activity | : | Leaves: ulcers, abdominal swelling, and headache and chest pain; Leaves and roots are used to treat urinary
disorders, abdominal swellings, dysentery, snake bites and sores. An aqueous solution of leaves has insecticidal properties.
|
| Plant's Phytochemicals | : | COMPOUNDS: Triterpenes: Friedelin; Friedelinol;
Flavonoids: Vitexin; Robunin; Apigenin; Kaempferol; Quercetin;
Alkaloids: Franganine; Frangufoline adouetine-y'; Melofoline (cyclopeptide alkaloids); Melochicorine (a pseudo-oxindole alkaloid); 6-methoxy-3-propenyl-2-pyridine carboxylic acid (a pyridine alkaloid); Franganine; Frangufoline; ACTIVE COMPOUNDS (4): Quercetin; Kaempferol; Apigenin; Friedelin; |
| Plant's Current Status | : | |
| Plant's Cross Database Reference | : | 259142 |
| Reference | : | Dhore M. A. (1984) The flora of melghat tiger reserve
- Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine (2013)537 to 543
- https://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/230370 |
| Reference | : | ~ Chellaiah Muthu, Muniappan Ayyanar, Nagappan Raja and Savarimuthu Ignacimuthu; "Medicinal plants used by traditional healers in Kancheepuram District of Tamil Nadu, India"; Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2006); 2(43): 1-10 PMID : ~ Dhore MA and Joshi PA; "Flora of Melghat Tiger Reserve"; Directorate, Project Tiger, Melghat (1988); PMID : |
| Kingdom | : Plantae - Plants |
|---|---|
| Phylum | : Tracheophyta |
| Subkingdom | : Tracheobionta - Vascular plants |
| Superdivision | : Spermatophyta - Seed plants |
| Division | : Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants |
| Class | : Magnoliopsida - Dicotyledons |
| Subclass | : Dilleniidae |
| Order | : Malvales |
| Family | : Sterculiaceae - Cacao family |
| Genus | : Melochia L. - melochia |
| Species | : Melochia corchorifolia L. - chocolateweed |