Sudakku Thakkali / Shoo-Fly Plant
Nicandra physalodes
Also known as Apple-Of-Peru
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu & more
- Flowering
- July-February
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Nicandra physalodes
- Genus
- Nicandra
- Family
- Solanaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- All types of forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- Central America
- Distribution
- Tropics
- Found in India
- Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Kerala, Manipur, Puducherry, Punjab
- Flowering & fruiting
- July-February
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- OvaterecordedEgg-shaped, broader near the base.“Nicandra physalodes is an annual species growing to 1 metre tall with spreading branches and ovate, mid-green, toothed and waved leaves.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf margin
- ToothedrecordedA saw-like or jagged edge (serrate or dentate).“Nicandra physalodes is an annual species growing to 1 metre tall with spreading branches and ovate, mid-green, toothed and waved leaves.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Sudakku Thakkali itself; the rest are typical of the Solanaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Blue/lavenderrecorded
- Fruit type
- Papery-husked berryrecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Berry
Characters marked “recorded” are for Sudakku Thakkali itself; the rest are typical of the Solanaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Tamil
- Sudakku thakkali
- Kannada
- Bilibudde gida
- Marathi
- पोपटी Popti, पोपटी
About Sudakku Thakkali
Shoo-Fly Plant (Nicandra physalodes) belongs to the Solanaceae family, where it grows as a herb. In India it has been recorded in Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and 9 other states. It grows in all types of forests. Flowering and fruiting run from July to February.
Uses
In practice it is grown for parts that are eaten, long used in traditional medicine and planted as an ornamental. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice. Parts of this plant are reported as poisonous — treat it as unsafe to eat and wash your hands after handling.
Solanaceae
Nightshade/Tomato family
Sudakku Thakkali belongs to the Solanaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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