Wide Spikenard

Plant Details

Scientific name

Mesosphaerum suaveolens

Genus

Mesosphaerum

Family

Lamiaceae

Found in India

Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Puducherry, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Goa, Daman & Diu, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh

Conservation status

Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf margin

ToothedrecordedA saw-like or jagged edge (serrate or dentate).“Leaves are oppositely arranged, 2–10 cm (0.79–3.94 in) long, with shallowly toothed margins, and emit a strong minty odor if crushed.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Leaf surface

Pubescent (softly hairy)recorded

Typical of the family

Arrangement

Opposite

Type

Simple

Venation

Pinnate

Characters marked “recorded” are for Wide Spikenard itself; the rest are typical of the Lamiaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour

PurplerecordedPurple or violet

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 Wide Spikenard itself; the rest are typical of the Lamiaceae family — flowering plants only.

Local Names

Telugu

హిప్తిస్ సావెలెన్స్

Malayalam

നരിപ്പൂച്ചി

Bengali

বিলাতি তুলসী

Nepali

वन सिलाम

About Wide Spikenard

Wide Spikenard (Mesosphaerum suaveolens) is a species in the Lamiaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka and 21 other states.

Common plant problems

• Overwatering & Root Rot
• Houseplant Pests
• Leaf Spot on Plants
• Powdery Mildew on Plants

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