Dhamin / Prostrate Wild Petunia
Ruellia prostrata
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh & more
How to identify Dhamin
Identify Dhamin by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Confirm leaf shape: Ovate.
- Confirm leaf surface: Pubescent (softly hairy).
- Confirm flower colour: Purple.
- Confirm flower arrangement: Cyme.
- In India, compare location records such as Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Acanthaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Dhamin.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Ruellia prostrata
- Genus
- Ruellia
- Family
- Acanthaceae
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- OvaterecordedEgg-shaped, broader near the base.“Leaves are ovate to elliptic, 4–9.5 cm long, and shortly to distinctly petiolate.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- Pubescent (softly hairy)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Opposite
Characters marked “recorded” are for Dhamin itself; the rest are typical of the Acanthaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- PurplerecordedPurple or violet
- Flower arrangement
- CymerecordedA branched cluster where the central/terminal flower opens first.“Flowers are mauve or white, solitary or in small axillary cymes.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Spike
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Dhamin itself; the rest are typical of the Acanthaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Bengali
- ধমনী Dhamani
- Dogri
- वन बसूटी Van Basuti
- Gujarati
- કાળી ધામણ ઢોકળી Kali Dhaman Dhokali, કાલી ઘાવણી Kali Ghavani
- Hindi
- धामिन Dhamin
- Kannada
- ಭೀಮನ ಸೊಪ್ಪು Bheemana Soppu
- Malayalam
- ഉപ്പുതാളി Upputhaali
- Marathi
- भुई रुवेल Bhui Ruwel, काळी धावणी Kali Dhawani
- Rajasthani
- काली घावणी Kali Ghavani
- Tamil
- போட்டகாஞ்சி Pottakanchi
- Telugu
- మాను పత్రి Maanu Pathri, నేల నీలాంబరము Nela Neelaambaramu
About Dhamin
Prostrate Wild Petunia (Ruellia prostrata) belongs to the Acanthaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and 18 other states.
Acanthaceae
Acanthus family
Dhamin belongs to the Acanthaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Acanthaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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