Verbenaceae · Stachytarpheta

Kadapananthu / Nettle-Leaved Vervain

Stachytarpheta urticifolia

ShrubMedicinal
Habit
Shrub
Found in India
Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra & more
Flowering
Throughout the year

Plant Details

Scientific name
Stachytarpheta urticifolia
Genus
Stachytarpheta
Habit
Shrub
Habitat
Moist areas of the forests and plains
Habitat type
Forest
Distribution
Pantropical
Found in India
Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Assam, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Puducherry, Uttarakhand, West Bengal
Flowering & fruiting
Throughout the year
Conservation status
Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

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

Typical of the Verbenaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour
PurplerecordedPurple or violet
Flower arrangement
Spike (stalkless flowers along a stem)recorded

Typical of the family

Inflorescence
Cyme
Fruit
Drupe

Characters marked “recorded” are for Kadapananthu itself; the rest are typical of the Verbenaceae family — flowering plants only.

Local Names

Malayalam
Kadapananthu

About Kadapananthu

Nettle-leaved vervain (Stachytarpheta urticifolia) belongs to the Verbenaceae family, where it grows as a shrub. In India it has been recorded in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and 7 other states. It grows in moist areas of the forests and plains. It flowers and fruits through much of the year.

Illustration representing the Verbenaceae family
Botanical family

Verbenaceae

Verbena/Teak family

Kadapananthu belongs to the Verbenaceae family.

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

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Common plant problems

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