Dilip Walse Patil

Scientific Name : Lantana camara L.

Category : Angiosperms

Status : Alive

Habit : An erect, ornamental, dark green shrub with branched taproot system. Stem : Herbaceous but woody below, erect, branched, quadrangular, solid, hairy, hairs are very prominent and well developed. Leaves : Ramal and cauline, simple, exstipulate, opposite decussate, petiolate, ovate, crenate or serrate, acute, unicostate reticulate venation, hairy and green. Inflorescence : Umbel, or flat-topped compound spike. Flowers : Bracteate, bracteolate, sub-sessile or sessile, complete, hermaphrodite, zygomorphic, pentamerous, hypogynous, odorous, white, pale-purple, yellow or red in colour. Calyx made up of 5 sepals, gamosepalous, odd sepal posterior, valvate, green. Corolla made up of 5 petals, gamopetalous, 4 petals are small and placed posterolaterally and one petal is large which is anterior in position, imbricate or quincuncial, white, pale-purple, yellow or red in colour. Androecium of 4 stamens, polyandrous, epipetalous, didynamous, posterior stamen is genrally absent or very much reduced, dithecous, basifixed and introrse. Gynoecium bicarpellary, syncarpous,superior, bilocular, one ovule in each locule, axile placentation; style simple and short, stigma simple. Fruit : Drupe Flowering and Fruiting Time : Throughout the year. Significance : Cultivated in gardens as ornamental. The decoction of the plant is used in tetanus, malaria and rheumatism.