97
Lagerstroemia
speciosa (L.) Pers.
Synonym : Munchausia speciosa L.
Family
: Lythraceae
Local Names
: Poomaruthu, Pride of India,
Queen of flowers
Flowering
and fruiting period:
March – November
Distribution: Indo-Malaysia
Habitat: Semi-evergreen and
evergreen forests, mostly along banks of streams; also planted as avenue tree
IUCN
status:
Data Deficient
Endemic: No
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 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.
