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CLASSIFICATION

ORDER	:  Malpighiales
FAMILY	:  Violaceae
GENUS	:  Ionidium
SPECIES	:  suffruticosum (L.)
BOTANICAL NAME	:  Ionidicum suffruticosum (L.) Ging.
SYNONYMS	:  ---
COMMON NAME	:  Spade flower, Pink ladies slipper.
TAMIL NAME	:  orital tamarai
HINDI NAME	:  Ratan purush.

PLANT DESCRIPTION

HABIT:  Spade Flower is a perennial herb or small shrub to 60 cm high, smooth or hairy.

LEAVES:  Leaves are linear to lance-like, 1-5 cm long, margins recurved to revolute, occasionally flat; stipules acuminate, 1-4 mm long.

FLOWERS:  Pink-purple spade-shaped flowers occur solitary. Sepals 3-4 mm long. Lower petal broad spade-shaped, pink-purple, with deep purple veins. Upper petals linear-oblong, 3-4 mm long; lateral pair 4.5-5 mm long. Anthers without appendages.

FRUIT:  Capsule 4-9 mm long; seeds 5-12, pitted between ribs.

MEDICINAL USES

This herb is considered to be extremely beneficial to men, used as a diuretic, demulcent and tonic.

The root is diuretic and is used in urinary affections and bowel complaints of children.

Decoction of leaves and tender stalks is demulcent.

The fruit is used to treat scorpion sting.

IMAGES

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