Chota Chirayata / Indian Whitehead
Enicostema axillare
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Gujarat, Rajasthan, Telangana & more
- Flowering
- July-November
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Enicostema axillare
- Genus
- Enicostema
- Family
- Gentianaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- Foothills, moist places of deciduous forests, near sea coasts and plains
- Native to
- India
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Tropical Africa, West Indies
- Found in India
- Gujarat, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand
- Flowering & fruiting
- July-November
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
Typical of the Gentianaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Whiterecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Berry
Characters marked “recorded” are for Chota Chirayata itself; the rest are typical of the Gentianaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- छोटा चिरायत Chota chirayata, katvinayi, नामे Naame
- Tamil
- Vallari, Vellarugu, Arukumuli
- Kannada
- ಚಿಕ್ಕಾ ಚಿರಾಯತ Chikka chiraayuta
- Malayalam
- വല്ലാരി Vallari, Vellaruku
About Chota Chirayata
Indian Whitehead (Enicostema axillare) is a herb in the Gentianaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Telangana and 7 other states. It grows in foothills, moist places of deciduous forests, near sea coasts and plains. Flowering and fruiting run from July to November.
Gentianaceae
Gentian family
Chota Chirayata belongs to the Gentianaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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