Bark
Grey to greyish-brown, rough, slightly fissured, peeling in thin papery or fibrous flakes on mature branches.
Spermadictyon suaveolens
Syn. Hamiltonia suaveolens
IUCN Red List
Not Evaluated
(NE)
Local name
- Forest Champa (English)
- Van Champa (Hindi)
- Erramogi (Telugu)
Shrub type
Evergreen
Deciduous
Family: Rubiaceae
3m
Indicated uses
Medicinal
Edible
Ornamental
Avenue
Other
Flowering & fruiting
Flowering
Fruiting
Key characters
Leaves
Opposite, decussate, 10–25 cm long, elliptic-lanceolate to ovate-oblong, acute to acuminate apex, tapering base, entire margins; dark green with prominent secondary veins; emits an unpleasant foetid odor when crushed.
Flower
Sessile, borne in terminal trichotomous clustered cymes or paniculate heads; corolla tubular to funnel-shaped, 5-lobed, white to pale lilac or azure blue, intensely sweet-scented and fragrant, especially towards evening.
Fruit / Seeds
Capsule, 1-celled, 5-valved, obovoid-ellipsoid, 3–4 mm long; seeds up to 5, oblong, triquetrous, enclosed in a distinctive reticulate, net-like loose arilloid membrane.
Did you know?
In China, it is not native but is widely imported, cultivated, and valued as an ornamental garden shrub for its striking, globe-shaped flower heads and sweet fragrance.
Distribution
Indian Subcontinent to Myanmar, Tibet