4 'o' Clock plant

Mirabilis jalapa

Also known as Marvel of Peru

HerbMedicinal

About 4 'o' Clock plant

Mirabilis jalapa, the marvel of Peru or four o'clock flower, is the most commonly grown ornamental species of Mirabilis plant, and is available in a range of colors. Mirabilis in Latin means wonderful and Jalapa (or Xalapa) is the state capital of Veracruz in Mexico. Mirabilis jalapa is believed to have been cultivated by the Aztecs for medicinal and ornamental purposes. The flowers usually open from late afternoon or at dusk (namely between 4 and 8 o'clock), giving rise to one of its common names. The flowers then produce a strong, sweet fragrance throughout the night, then close in the morning. New flowers open the following day. It arrived in Europe in 1525.

Description adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Plant Details

Scientific name: Mirabilis jalapa
Genus: Mirabilis
Family: NYCTAGINACEAE
Habit: Herb
Habitat: Grown as garden plant
Native to: Peru
Distribution: All tropical regions
Flowering & fruiting: Throughout the year
Conservation status: Not Evaluated (NE)

Local Names

Hindi: गुल अब्बास Gul abbas, गुलबक्षी Gulbakshi, गुल अब्बास
Nepali: ल्वाङकसानी
Bengali: সংধ্যা মালতী Sandhya malati, সন্ধ্যামালতী
Tamil: Pattarashu, அந்தி மந்தாரை Andhi Mandarai, அந்தி மல்லிகை
Telugu: చంద్రకాంత Chandrakantha, Chandramalli, మిరాబిలిస్ జలపా
Kannada: ಗುಲ್ಲುಮುಂಚಿ Gullumunchi, ಮಧ್ಯಾಹ್ನಮಲ್ಲಿಗೆ Madhyaahna mallige, ನಾಲ್ಕುಗಂಟೆಹೂ Naalku gante hoo
Malayalam: Anthimalari, Anti-mantaram, naalu mani poovu
Marathi: गुलबस Gulabas, गुलबास Gulabaas, सायंकाळें Saayankaale

Botanical family

Nyctaginaceae

Four-O'clock Family

4 'o' Clock plant belongs to the Nyctaginaceae family.

The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.

Explore the NYCTAGINACEAE family →

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