Bark
Smooth, light gray bark featuring rigid, light-colored branches with sharp, 3-to-5-pronged spines growing at the leaf bases.
Barleria prionitis
Syn. Barleria appressa
IUCN Red List
Least Concern
(LC)
Local name
- Thorny bush-violet (English)
- Vajradanti (Hindi), Mrdukantah (Sanskrit)
Shrub type
Evergreen
Deciduous
Family: Acanthaceae
1.5m
Indicated uses
Medicinal
Edible
Ornamental
Avenue
Other
Flowering & fruiting
Flowering
Fruiting
Key characters
Leaves
Elliptic, dark green leaves (5–12 cm long) with sharp-tipped apexes, arranged oppositely.
Flower
Bright yellow-orange, tubular flowers sitting tightly in leafy spikes, featuring highly prominent, long-projecting stamens.
Fruit / Seeds
Ovate, pointed capsules (2 cm long) that burst open when dry to release two flat, hairy seeds.
Did you know?
Traditionally called Vajradanti, its leaves and roots have been used as astringent remedies for gum problems and toothaches.
Distribution
E. Tropical Africa, Madagascar, Tropical & Subtropical Asia, Andaman Island