Find Me A Cure

Botanical Name:Mirabilis jalapa
Family: Nyctaginaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales
Genus: Mirabilis
Species: M. jalapa

PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES

SANSKRIT SYNONYMS: Krishnakeli, Sandhyakuli
English : Four O’ Clock plant, Marvel of Peru
Hindi : Lal Gulabas
Malayalam : Chuvanna Nalumanichedi

Other Names:The four o’clock flower, marvel of Peru, Mirabilis in Latin means wonderful and Jalapa is a town in Mexico. Mirabilis jalapa is said to have been exported from the Peruvian Andes in 1540.

Habitat:Distribution – Throughout India, cultivated as a garden plant. Sandhamalati grows in most of the Asiatic countries. M. jalapa hails from tropical South America, but has become naturalised throughout tropical and warm temperate regions. In North America, the plant perennializes in warm, coastal environments, particularly in US Zones 9–10.

Description:
Perennial growing to 0.6m by 0.45m.
It is hardy to zone 8 and is frost tender. It is in flower from July to October, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.

………….. ....
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

M. jalapa hails from tropical South America, but has become naturalised throughout tropical and warm temperate regions. In cooler temperate regions, it will die back with the first frosts, regrowing in the following spring from the tuberous roots. The plant does best in full sun. It grows to approximately 0.9 m in height. The single-seeded fruit are spherical, wrinkled and black upon maturity , having started out greenish-yellow. The plant will self-seed, often spreading rapidly if left unchecked in a garden. Some gardeners recommend that the seeds should be soaked before planting, but this is not totally necessary.

Flowers and colour:
A curious aspect of this plant is that flowers of different colours can be found simultaneously on the same plant. Additionally, an individual flower can be splashed with different colours. Another interesting point is a colour-changing phenomenon. For example, in the yellow variety, as the plant matures, it can display flowers that gradually change to a dark pink color. Similarly white flowers can change to light violet.

The flowers usually open from late afternoon onwards, then producing a strong, sweet-smelling fragrance, hence the first of its common names. In China, it is called the “shower flower” or “rice boiling flower” ( zh?fàn hu?) because it is in bloom at the time of these activities. In Hong Kong, it is known as “purple jasmine” . Despite their appearance, the flowers are not formed from petals – rather they are a pigmented modification of the calyx.

The flowers are pollinated by long-tongued sphynx moths.

Carl Correns used the four o’clock as a model organism for his studies on cytoplasmic inheritance. He used the plant’s variegated leaves to prove that certain factors outside the nucleus affected phenotype in a way not explained by Mendel’s theories.

Also, when red-flowered plants are crossed with white-flowered plants, pink-flowered offspring, not red, are produced. This is an exception to Mendel’s Law of Dominance.

Cultivation details:
Succeeds in almost any ordinary garden soil. Prefers a fertile well-drained soil in full sun or part day shade. This species is not very hardy in Britain. The top growth is cut back by frost but the tuber survives the winter outdoors if the temperature does not fall much below -5°c, a good mulch would be beneficial. Tubers can be lifted and stored over winter in a cool frost free place in the same way that dahlia tubers are stored. The marvel of Peru is usually grown as a half-hardy annual in temperate zones, it flowers freely in its first year. Plants also self-sow freely in warmer areas (these seedlings can be easily transplanted) and they can become a weed in such situations due to their deep rooting habit. This species was cultivated as a medicinal plant by the Aztecs prior to the Spanish conqust. The flowers are sweetly scented and do not open until the afternoon. The young growth is particularly susceptible to aphis infestation. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.

Propagation:
Seed – sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer, after the last expected frosts. The seed remains viable for several years. Division in spring as the plant comes into growth.

Edible Uses: Colouring; Condiment; Leaves.

Tender young leaves – cooked as a vegetable. An emergency food, only eaten when all else fails. An edible crimson dye is obtained from the flowers. It is used for colouring cakes and jellies. The seed is crushed and used as a pepper substitute.

Medicinal Uses:

Diuretic; Purgative; Vulnerary.

The root is aphrodisiac, diuretic and purgative. It is used in the treatment of dropsy. A paste of the root is applied as a poultice to treat scabies and muscular swellings. The juice of the root is used in the treatment of diarrhoea, indigestion and fevers. The powdered root, mixed with corn flour (Zea mays) is baked and used in the treatment of menstrual disorders. The leaves are diuretic. They are used to reduce inflammation. A decoction of them is used to treat abscesses. The leaf juice is used to treat wounds.

AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES :-
Rasa : Tikta, Kashaya
Guna : Lakhu
Virya : Seeta

AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES :
Plant pacifies vitiated pitta, fever, syphilis, inflammation, burns and scalds, and general debility.
Useful part : Roots, Leaves.

Other Uses
Cosmetic; Dye.

The powdered seed is used as a cosmetic.

Scented Plants
Flowers: Fresh
The flowers are sweetly scented and do not open until the afternoon.

Disclaimer:The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirabilis_jalapa

http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Mirabilis+jalapa

http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Mirabilis+jalapa

http://ayurvedicmedicinalplants.com/plants/3228.html

If you liked the post, please subscribe to my RSS feed.
If we could help you, please spread the word.