Rugmini / Red Ixora
Ixora coccinea
Also known as Jungle 'Geranium', Flame Of The Woods, Sacred Ixora, Jungle Flame Ixora, Needle Flower
- Habit
- Shrub
- Found in India
- Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka & more
- Flowering
- Throughout the year
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Ixora coccinea
- Genus
- Ixora
- Family
- Rubiaceae
- Habit
- Shrub
- Habitat
- Cultivated
- Habitat type
- Cultivated
- Native to
- India
- Distribution
- Cultivated in most parts of the world
- Found in India
- Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Telangana, West Bengal, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Puducherry, Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Chandigarh, Jharkhand, Odisha
- Flowering & fruiting
- Throughout the year
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- OppositerecordedTwo leaves arise from the stem at the same point, facing each other.“The glossy, leathery, oblong leaves are about 4 in (10 cm) long, with entire margins, and are carried in opposite pairs or whorled on the stems.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf shape
- OblongrecordedLonger than wide with roughly parallel sides, the ends rounded.“The glossy, leathery, oblong leaves are about 4 in (10 cm) long, with entire margins, and are carried in opposite pairs or whorled on the stems.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf margin
- EntirerecordedA smooth, unbroken edge with no teeth or notches.“The glossy, leathery, oblong leaves are about 4 in (10 cm) long, with entire margins, and are carried in opposite pairs or whorled on the stems.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- Glabrous (smooth, hairless)recorded
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Rugmini itself; the rest are typical of the Rubiaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Redrecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Berry
Characters marked “recorded” are for Rugmini itself; the rest are typical of the Rubiaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- Rugmini रुग्मिनी, rugmini
- Bengali
- Rangan, রঙ্গন
- Tamil
- Vedchi
- Telugu
- నూరు వరహాలు - ఎరుపు
- Kannada
- ಕೇಪಲ, ಕೇಪಳ Kepala, ಕೆವಲ
- Malayalam
- Chethi, ചെത്തി, തെറ്റി
- Marathi
- बाकाळी Bakali, बाकोळी Bakoli, बाकोरा
Rugmini in India
Ixora is a compact evergreen shrub valued for its dense, long-lasting flower heads — Rugmini रुग्मिनी (Hindi), Vedchi (Tamil), నూరు వరహాలు - ఎరుపు (Telugu), ಕೇಪಲ (Kannada), Chethi (Malayalam), बाकाळी Bakali (Marathi). Native to the region, Ixora coccinea is widely planted and recorded across Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, especially in the warm, humid south.
Uses
It is grown as an ornamental hedge and border plant and is a common temple-garden shrub, with flowers used in worship in parts of South India. It flowers for much of the year, which makes it a dependable source of colour in gardens.
How to Identify Rugmini
A neat, rounded shrub with glossy, stiff oblong leaves in opposite pairs and rounded clusters of small, four-lobed tubular flowers, classically scarlet but also pink, orange or yellow. Each slender flower tube flares into a flat little cross at the mouth.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Red Ixora called in different Indian languages?
- Rugmini रुग्मिनी (Hindi); Vedchi (Tamil); నూరు వరహాలు - ఎరుపు (Telugu); ಕೇಪಲ (Kannada); Chethi (Malayalam); बाकाळी Bakali (Marathi); Rangan (Bengali).
- Does ixora flower all year?
- In warm, humid parts of India ixora flowers for much of the year, with flushes of dense flower heads, making it a reliable garden and hedge shrub.
- What colours does ixora come in?
- The classic jungle flame is scarlet, but cultivated ixoras also come in pink, orange, yellow and salmon shades.
Rubiaceae
Coffee/Madder family
Rugmini belongs to the Rubiaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Rubiaceae
View all Rubiaceae →Sources: GBIF — Ixora coccinea (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · iNaturalist — Ixora coccinea (regional names, India observations) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Ixora coccinea (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)