Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers.

പൂമരുത്

Family : Lythraceae

Synonym : Munchausia speciosa L.

Common Names : Poomaruth, Pride of India, Queen of flowers

Flowering Period : March – November

Distribution : Indo-Malaysia

Habitat : Semi-evergreen and evergreen forests, mostly along banks of streams; also planted as avenue tree

Uses : Ornamental, avenue plant, timber yielding. Leaves are used in the Philippines as a folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes and kidney diseases. The fruit are used in India to cure mouth ulcers. The roots are also considered astringent and the seeds narcotic.

Key Characters :

This plant is a deciduous tree with bark yellowish-brown, smooth. Leaves simple, opposite, oblong, ovate-lanceolate, margin entire. Flowers bisexual, mauve or pink, in terminal panicles; inflorescence branches puberulous. Calyx tube hemispherical; lobes 6, triangular. Petals 6, obovate, clawed, margins crispate. Stamens many, inserted near the base of the calyx tube. Ovary half inferior, sessile, ovules many; style curved; stigma capitate. Fruit is a capsule, ovoid, brown, woody, dehiscent; seeds, winged, pale brown.