Scientific Name: Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers.

Synonyms: Adambea glabra Lam., Adambea hirsuta Lam.

Unique ID: 176

Systematic Position

Class: Dicotyledonae

Sub Class:Polypetalae                   

Series: Calcyflorae

Order: Myrtales

Family: Lythraceae

Common Names

English – Pride of India

Malayalam – മണിമരുത്

Tamil – Pu marutu

Hindi – Jaral

Description: L. speciosa is a shrub to large tree with multiple trunks or stems diverging from just above ground level, up to 40(45) m tall and 100(-150) cm in diameter. Leaves opposite, distichous, simple, entire, stipules minute or absent. Flowers in a large, axillary or terminal panicle, often showy, calyx funnel or bell shaped, 6(9) lobed, petals often 6, inserted near the mouth of the calyx tube, white to pink or purple, clawed, wrinkled, stamens many, in several rows, ovary superior, 3-6 locular with many ovules in each cell, style 1. Fruit a large woody capsule on the persistent calyx. Seed with an apical wing 

Habitat: Within its native distribution range, L. speciosa grows in semi-evergreen and evergreen forest mostly along streams

Distribution: L. speciosa is native to temperate and tropical Asia including the Indian subcontinent, China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines

Uses:  Ornamental, fuelwood, wood products, animal feed, agroforestry, timber, gum , resin, essential oil.