Chhota Halkusa / Common Leucas
Leucas aspera
Also known as Thumbe
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka & more
- Flowering
- Throughout the year
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Leucas aspera
- Genus
- Leucas
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- Open deciduous forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- Tropical Asia
- Distribution
- Indo-Malesia
- Found in India
- Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Puducherry, Telangana, Rajasthan, Goa, Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal
- 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.“Leaves Opposite, subsessile or short petioled,linear or narrowly oblong- lanceolate,entire or distantly crenate, obtuse, narrowed at the base.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf shape
- LanceolaterecordedLong and narrow, tapering to a point, like a lance head.“Leaves Opposite, subsessile or short petioled,linear or narrowly oblong- lanceolate,entire or distantly crenate, obtuse, narrowed at the base.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf margin
- ToothedrecordedA saw-like or jagged edge (serrate or dentate).“Leaves Opposite, subsessile or short petioled,linear or narrowly oblong- lanceolate,entire or distantly crenate, obtuse, narrowed at the base.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- Hirsute (coarsely hairy)recorded
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Chhota Halkusa itself; the rest are typical of the Lamiaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower arrangement
- Spike (stalkless flowers along a stem)recorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Nutlets
Characters marked “recorded” are for Chhota Halkusa itself; the rest are typical of the Lamiaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- छोटा हल्कुसा Chhota halkusa, गॊफा Gophaa,गूमा guma
- Nepali
- बोकेझार
- Bengali
- Ghal ghase, শ্বেতাদ্রোণ, ডোঁরপি
- Tamil
- தும்பை Thumbai, Thumbai, முடிதும்பை
- Telugu
- తుమ్మి చెట్టు Thummi chettu, Tummachettu, తుమ్మి
- Kannada
- ತುಂಬೆ Tumbe gida, ತುಂಬೆಗಿಡ
- Malayalam
- തുമ്ബാ Tumba, തുമ്പ, തുമ്പ (ചെടി)
- Marathi
- तुंबा Tumba, तुंबी Tumbi, तुंबी, थंबा
- Assamese
- দোৰোণ
Chhota Halkusa in India
Thumbai is a small white-flowered herb of fields and waysides, used in worship — छोटा हल्कुसा Chhota halkusa (Hindi), தும்பை Thumbai (Tamil), తుమ్మి చెట్టు Thummi chettu (Telugu), ತುಂಬೆ Tumbe gida (Kannada), തുമ്ബാ Tumba (Malayalam), तुंबा Tumba (Marathi). Leucas aspera is recorded across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra, flowering through the cooler months.
Uses
The little white flowers are offered in worship (thumbai is a classic Tamil temple flower) and the plant is a household remedy — leaf juice is a traditional remedy for colds and as an antidote in folk practice (attributed, not medical advice). It is also a useful bee plant.
How to Identify Chhota Halkusa
A rough, erect annual herb with square stems and narrow toothed leaves in pairs. The small white tubular two-lipped flowers crowd into tight rounded whorls at the leaf joints — typical of the mint family — giving a button-like look up the stem.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Common Leucas called in different Indian languages?
- छोटा हल्कुसा Chhota halkusa (Hindi); தும்பை Thumbai (Tamil); తుమ్మి చెట్టు Thummi chettu (Telugu); ತುಂಬೆ Tumbe gida (Kannada); തുമ്ബാ Tumba (Malayalam); तुंबा Tumba (Marathi); Ghal ghase (Bengali).
- What is thumbai used for?
- Its white flowers are used in worship and the leaf juice is a traditional household remedy for colds; these are attributed traditional uses, not medical advice.
- How do you identify thumbai?
- Look for a rough herb with square stems and tight round whorls of small white two-lipped flowers clustered at the leaf joints.
Lamiaceae
Mint/Sage family
Chhota Halkusa belongs to the Lamiaceae 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 Lamiaceae
View all Lamiaceae →Sources: GBIF — Leucas aspera (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · iNaturalist — Leucas aspera (regional names, India observations) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Leucas aspera (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)