Common name: Four O'clock, Beauty-of-the-night, Marvel of Peru •
Hindi: गुल अब्बास Gul abbas, Gulbakshi • Manipuri: মুকাক লৈ Mukak lei • Marathi: गुलबस Gulabas or गुलबास Gulabaas, सायंकाळें saayankaale •
Tamil: Pattarashu, அந்தி மந்தாரை Andhi Mandarai • Malayalam: Anthimalari, Anti-mantaram, naalu mani poovu
• Telugu: Chandramalli • Kannada: Gulamaji, Naalku ghante hoo • Bengali: সংধ্যা মালতী Sandhya malati • Oriya:
Rangini • Konkani: आकाशमुरी Akashmuri, Meremdi • Sanskrit: Krishnakeli
Botanical name: Mirabilis jalapa
Family: Nyctaginaceae (Bougainvillea family)
Geographical distribution
The plant is mostly cultivated as an
ornamental.
Introduction: Four o'clock flowers are trumpet shaped, about an
inch across at the end and about two inches long. They open in the evening and
wilt the next morning. Four o'clocks are leafy, shrublike, multi-branched
perennials which bloom throughout summer. The plants are erect and spreading,
2-3 ft tall and just as wide. They have numerous branches and opposite, pointed
leaves 2-4 in long. The fragrant flowers are borne singly or in clusters, and
can be red, magenta, pink, yellow or white, sometimes with more than one color
on the same plant. Like Petunia, bicolored flowers can also be grown. The
plants continue to produce new flowers from late spring untill fall. Four
o'clocks have large, black carrot shaped tubers that can be a foot or more
long. In warm regions, the roots can weigh up to 18 kg or more.
Chemical composition
The plant contains trigonelline.
Therapeutic uses
The leaves are used as maturant,
anti-inflammatory and roots are aphrodisiac, purgative and useful in syphilitic
sores.
Folk medicinal uses
The leaf juice is used for cleaning and
healing of wounds and bruises. The root fried in butter is used as a tonic. A
poultice of the roots is applied over carbuncles, contusions and wounds.
Flowers and Fruits:
August-December
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