Thespesia populnea - Portia Tree

❏ Binomial Name : Thespesia populnea (L.) Soland. ex Correa

❏ Synonym : Hibiscus populifolius,Thespesia altissima,Malvaviscus populneus

❏ Family : Malvaceae

❏ Common Name : Portia tree,Indian tulip tree, False rosewood

❏ Tamil Name : Puvarasu

❏ Hindi Name : Paras-pipal, Gajadanda, Bhendi

❏ IUCN status: Least Concern

Thespesia populnea Botanical Description

Trees, to 15 m high, bark dark brown, glabrescent. Leaves long  petioled, orbicular to ovate, 9-14 X 11 cm, acute to acuminate, cordate, palmately  7-ribbed, Epicalyx lobes ovate- oblong.  Flowers bisexual, yellow, showy, solitary or in cymes, axillary or terminal; calyx cupular, minutely 5 toothed or 5-parted, accrescent and flattened in fruit, scaly outside, densely serious inside; corolla light yellow with dark purple centre, fading to purplish-pink, broadly campanulate; petals 5, 5-7.5 x 4-6 cm, obliquely obovate, narrowed and fleshy at base, rounded at apex, densely scaly outside, glabrous inside, ciliate at base, twisted; staminal tube 15-25 mm long, 5-toothed at apex; filaments ascending; anthers reniform; ovary superior, globose to ovoid, 5-celled, ovules 2-3 in each cell; style 3 cm long; stigma club shaped, 5-furrowed. Fruit a capsule, globose, indehiscent, depressed, scaly, ultimately glabrescent; seeds many, ovoid, channelled along the back, pubescent.

Thespesia populnea Medicinal uses

❀ This plant useful in treating pleurisy, cholera, colic and high fevers.

❀ The fruit juice is used to treat herpes

❀ The crushed fruit is used in a treatment for urinary tract problems and abdominal swellings

❀ A decoction of the astringent bark is used to treat dysentery and haemorrhoids, and a maceration of it is drunk for colds

❀ The stem is employed in treating breast cancer

❀ Leaf and bark decoctions are taken as a remedy for high blood pressure

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