Acanthaceae · Rhinacanthus

Kabutar Ka Phul / Snake Jasmine

Rhinacanthus nasutus

Also known as Dainty Spurs

UndershruboutdoorMedicinal
Habit
Undershrub
Found in India
Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka & more
Flowering
December-April

Plant Details

Scientific name
Rhinacanthus nasutus
Genus
Rhinacanthus
Habitat
Shaded palces in dry deciduous forests
Habitat type
Forest
Distribution
India, Sri Lanka, Java, Madagascar
Found in India
Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Puducherry, Telangana, West Bengal
Flowering & fruiting
December-April
Conservation status
Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf shape
OblongrecordedLonger than wide with roughly parallel sides, the ends rounded.The leaves are oblong, 4–10 cm in length, and narrowed and pointed at both ends. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
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 Kabutar Ka Phul itself; the rest are typical of the Acanthaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour
Whiterecorded
Fruit type
CapsulerecordedA dry fruit from a fused ovary that splits open at maturity to release seeds.The fruit (capsule) is club-shaped and contains 4 seeds. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Typical of the family

Inflorescence
Spike
Fruit
Capsule

Characters marked “recorded” are for Kabutar Ka Phul itself; the rest are typical of the Acanthaceae family — flowering plants only.

Local Names

Hindi
कबूतर का फुल Kabutar Ka Phul, पालक जूही Palak-Juhi, ऊथिपर्णी Uthiparni
Bengali
জুই পানা Jui-Pana, পলক জুই Palak-Jui
Tamil
கலிகை Kalikai, நாகமல்லி Nagamalli, உரகமல்லி Uragamalli
Telugu
నాగమళ్లె Nagamalle
Kannada
ದೊಡ್ಡಪಟಿಕ Doddapatika, ನಾಗಮಲ್ಲಿಗೆ Nagamallige
Malayalam
നാഗമുല്ല Naagamulla, ഒറ്റക്കാൽമുടന്തി Ottakkaalmudanthi, പുഴുക്കൊല്ലി Puzhukkolli
Marathi
गजकर्णी Gajkarni, नागमल्ली Nagamalli

About Kabutar Ka Phul

Snake Jasmine (Rhinacanthus nasutus) belongs to the Acanthaceae family, where it grows as a low shrub. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and 5 other states. It grows in shaded palces in dry deciduous forests. Flowering and fruiting run from December to April.

Illustration representing the Acanthaceae family
Botanical family

Acanthaceae

Acanthus family

Kabutar Ka Phul belongs to the Acanthaceae family.

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

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