Lantana
Botanical Name : Lantana camara Linn.
Family : verbenaceae
Names in different Indian languages :
English : Lantana weed
Hindi : Chaturang, Khaneri
Malayalam : Aripoov, Poochedi, Nattachedi
Synonyms :
Chaturangi, Vanacchedi
Morphology :
Lantana camara is a perennial, erect sprawling or scandent, shrub which typically grows to around 2 m tall and form dense thickets in a variety of environments.
L. camara has small tubular shaped flowers, which each have four petals and are arranged in clusters in terminal areas stems. Flowers come in many different colours, including red, yellow, white, pink and orange, which differ depending on location in inflorescences, age, and maturity
Distribution & Habitat :
The native range of Lantana camara is Central and South America; however, it has become naturalised in around 60 tropical and sub-tropical countries worldwide
Properties :
Rasa : Kashaya, Tikta
Guna : Guru
Virya : Seeta
Uses :
L. camara has also been used in traditional herbal medicines for treating a variety of ailments, including cancer, skin itches, leprosy, chicken pox, measles, asthma and ulcers