Rubiaceae · Oldenlandia

Chay Root / Dye Root

Oldenlandia umbellata

HerbMedicinal
Habit
Herb
Found in India
Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana & more
Flowering
August-May

Plant Details

Scientific name
Oldenlandia umbellata
Genus
Oldenlandia
Family
Rubiaceae
Habit
Herb
Habitat
Dry and moist deciduous forests, also in the plains
Habitat type
Forest
Distribution
India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar
Found in India
Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand
Flowering & fruiting
August-May
Conservation status
Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf surface
Glabrous (smooth, hairless)recorded

Typical of the family

Arrangement
Opposite
Simple type leaf character
Type
Simple
Entire margin leaf character
Margin
Entire
Pinnate venation leaf character
Venation
Pinnate

Characters marked “recorded” are for Chay Root itself; the rest are typical of the Rubiaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour
Whiterecorded
Flower arrangement
UmbelrecordedFlower stalks all radiate from a single point, like umbrella ribs.Oldenlandia umbellata (called chay root or choy root, from its Tamil name, chaaya ver) is a low-growing plant native to India. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Typical of the family

Inflorescence
Cyme
Fruit
Berry

Characters marked “recorded” are for Chay Root itself; the rest are typical of the Rubiaceae family — flowering plants only.

Local Names

Tamil
இம்பூரல்
Malayalam
ഓൾഡെൻലാൻഡിയ ഉമ്പെല്ലാട്ട, Chay root, Choy root

About Chay Root

A member of the Rubiaceae family, Dye Root (Oldenlandia umbellata) is a herb. In India it has been recorded in Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana and 2 other states. It grows in dry and moist deciduous forests, also in the plains. Flowering and fruiting run from August to May.

Illustration representing the Rubiaceae family
Botanical family

Rubiaceae

Coffee/Madder family

Chay Root belongs to the Rubiaceae family.

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

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Common plant problems

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