Phutki / Malabar Melastome
Melastoma malabathricum
- Habit
- Shrub
- Found in India
- Kerala, Karnataka, Assam & more
- Flowering
- Throughout the year
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Melastoma malabathricum
- Genus
- Melastoma
- Family
- Melastomataceae
- Habit
- Shrub
- Habitat
- Stream banks and marshy areas in deciduous forests
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Myanmar
- Found in India
- Kerala, Karnataka, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya
- Flowering & fruiting
- Throughout the year
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Opposite
- Type
- Variable
- Margin
- Variable
- Venation
- Variable
Typical of the Melastomataceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower symmetry
- Variable
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Berry
Typical of the Melastomataceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Hindi
- फुटकी Phutki
- Nepali
- अंगेरी Angeree, चुलेसी Chulesee
- Bengali
- বন তেজপাতা Bon Tejpata, দাঁতরাঙা Dantaranga, লুটকি Lutki
- Tamil
- கடலை Katalai, நாக்குக் கரப்பான் Nakku-K-Karappan
- Telugu
- నెక్కరి Nekkare, నెక్కరిసెల్య Nekkaresaelya, పాతుడు Pathudu
- Kannada
- ಅಂಕೇರ್ಕಿ Ankerki, ದೊಡ್ಡ ನೆಕ್ಕರೆ Dodda Nekkare, ಕೆಂಕರಿಕೆ Kenkarike
- Malayalam
- അതിരാണി Athiraani, കദളി Kadali, കലംപൊട്ടി Kalampotti
- Marathi
- लाखेरी Lakheri, पालोरे Palore, रिंधा Rindha
About Phutki
Malabar Melastome (Melastoma malabathricum) is a shrub belonging to the Melastomataceae family (Melastome family). Members of this family are generally characterised by opposite simple leaves, cymose/panicle flower clusters, berry/capsule fruit. It is typically found in stream banks and marshy areas in deciduous forests. It occurs across India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Myanmar. It flowers and fruits through much of the year. The species is valued in traditional medicine.
Melastomataceae
Melastome family
Phutki belongs to the Melastomataceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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