ENVIS Technical Report: 89,  July 2015

Biodiversity, Ecology, Energy, Landscape Dynamics & Hydrology of Agastya Foundation Campus, Kuppam

   T.V. Ramachandra*      Harish R.Bhat  Bharath H. Aithal Rao G. R. Sudarshan P.Bhat
Vinay S. Ganesh Hegde Gouri Kulkarni Bharath H. Aithal Vishnu D. Mukri
Energy and Wetlands Research Group, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012
*Corresponding author: cestvr@ces.iisc.ernet.in, energy@ces.iisc.ernet.in [080-22933099]
Flora

Flora of Agasthya Foundation Campus, Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh District


Abutilon indicum
Common name: Indian Abutilon
Family: Malvaceae
Native: India
Description: Erect branched shrub, velvety- tomentose to glabrescent. Leaves simple, alternate, and orbicular to ovate. Calyx much shorter than petals, spreading in fruit1.
Flower, Fruit: August- February

Acacia polyacantha
Common name: White Thorn
Family: Fabaceae
Native: Africa, India, the Indian Ocean and Asia
Description: Trees branches white pubescent. Leaves 12 cm long, stipular spines straight, 0.7 cm long. Corolla white, slightly longer than calyx. Pod slightly thick, many-seeded2.
Flowers: March – June
Fruits: August - February

Acacia chundra
Common name: Red Chundra
Family: Fabaceae
Native: India
Description: Moderate-sized tree. Branches are with curved red prickles. Leaves are alternate and pinnately compound with glands present on the rachis. Flowers are small, pale yellow in terminal spikes1, 2.
Flower, Fruit: May - October

Acacia leucophloea
Common name: White Babool, White-Barked Acacia, Family: Fabaceae
Description:A medium-sized tree with alternate or clustered, bipinnately compound leaves having glands on the rachis. Flowers are small, cream to yellow-coloured and aggregate into globose. Pod is brown, flat, curved and densely hairy2.
Native: Indo-malayan region
Flower, fruits: August - November

Acacia nilotica
Common name: Gum Arabic Tree
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Moderate-sized thorny tree. Leaves alternate, bipinnate, elliptic, entire, rounded. Flower solitary globose head, golden yellow. Fruit pod. Seeds 132.
Native: Africa
Flower, fruit: August – October

Acalypha indica
Common name: Indian Acalypha
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Native: Africa to Malesia
Description: Annual erect herbs, young branches pubescent. Petiole to 6 cm long. Inflorescence lax, often terminated by an abnormal female flower. Bracts ovate, shallowly dentate, eglandular Schizocarp hairy2.
Flower, fruit: August - December

Acanthospermum hispidum
Common name: Bristly Starbur
Family: Asteraceae
Native: Tropical America
Description: Erect branched hairy Herb. Leaves opposite, simple, ovate, acute, cuneate at base, hairy heads 2.5-3 cm across. Yellow colour flowers. Fruit an achene, spinous1, 2.
Native: Tropical America
Flower, Fruit: January-July

Achyranthes aspera
Common name: Devil's Horse Whip
Family: Amaranthaceae
Native: Southeastern Asia
Description: An erect herb. tem stiff and quadrangular. Leaves are thick, elliptic or obovate, entire and obtuse. Flowers are greenish-white, small, numerous, stiffly deflexed against the rachis, in elongated terminal spike. Perianth scaly, glabrous and shiny. Fruit is a utricle2.
Flower, fruits: September-April

Acrocarpus fraxinifolius
Common name: Indian Ash
Family: Fabaceae
Native: India, Sri Lanka
Description: An unarmed lofty deciduous tree with buttressed trunk; leaves are bipinnate, pinnae 3-5 pairs, each with 5-6 pairs of large leaflets, which are bright red when young. Flowers are green with crimson stamens. Pod is flat with the upper suture winged2.
Flowers, Fruits: February-March

Adhatoda zeylanica
Common name: Malabar nut
Family: Acanthaceae
Description: A very bushy shrub with many branches. Leaves large elliptic to lanceolate in shape, dark green in colour above and pale green underneath. Flowers are in short, dense clusters. Corolla with short tube and spreading lobes. Fruits are oblong, slightly pointed capsules1, 2.
Flowers, Fruits: August -November

Aegle marmelos
Common name: Bael Tree
Family: Rutaceae
Description: A medium-sized tree with spiny branches. Leaves alternate, compound with three leaflets. Flowers are borne on branched axillary inflorescence. Fruit is globose with a hard rind1, 2.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: March – April.

Aerva lanata
Common name : Polpola
Family: Amaranthaceae
Native: Afrotropics
Description: An erect or prostrate herb with many hairy branches. Leaves are alternate, elliptic to obovate, obtuse or acute, entire with cottony hair beneath. Flowers are tiny, white and are crowded in compact axillary spikes1, 3.
Native: Afrotropics
Flower, Fruit : October-April

Ageratum conyzoides
Common name: Goat Weed
Family: Asteraceae
Native : Tropical America, Caribbean
Description: Herb. Leaves opposite, ovate, crenate, palmately 3-nerved. Heads in panicles; bracts sometimes glandular hairy. Flowers white or purple. Achenes sparsely scabrous 2.
Native: Tropical America, Caribbean
Flower, fruits: December-June

Alangium salvifolium
Common name : Sage-leaved Alangium
Family: Alangiaceae
Native: Tropical Asia
Description: Deciduous Tree; Leaves lanceolate, simple, ex-stipulate, greyish below, dark green above; Flowers in a panicle, sweet smelling; Petals linear hairy on the back; Filament short than petals; Fruit a berry, ellipsoidal, purplish red when ripe, calyx persistent1, 2.
Flowers, Fruits: February-May

Albizia lebbeck
Common name: East Indian Walnut
Family: Fabaceae
Description: A large deciduous tree with compound leaves. Flowers are greenish-white in head inflorescence. Fruit is a pod, which is yellowish-brown, flat and carries 6-10 seeds. Bark is brownish grey, rough with numerous sharp irregular cracks1,2, 3.
Native: Asia
Flower, Fruit : March -December

Albizia amara
Common name: Oil-cake Tree
Family: Fabaceae
Description: An unarmed small to medium sized deciduous tree with a rounded crown and fissured, rough bark; leaves are bipinnate with a gland on the petiole, pinnae 6-15 pairs, leaflets 10-46 pairs; flowers are small and in a head inflorescence, white or flushed pink; corolla is yellow ; stamens are long with pinkish filament. Pod is thin, flat, brown and distinctly stalked with 6-8 seeds1,2.
Native: India, Sri Lanka, Tropical Africa
Flower, Fruit: March-June

Albizzia odoratissima
Common name: Black Siris
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Moderate sized unarmed tree. Leaves compound, alternate with a swollen leaf base. Flowers minute, fragrant with slender long exserted stamens and aggregated into compact head inflorescences which in turn are borne terminally on highly branched axis. Fruit pods are thin and brown flat1,2.
Native: Tropical Asia
Flower, Fruit : March-April

Aloe vera
Common name: True Aloe
Family: Xanthorrhoeaceae
Description: A large perennial herb (50-100 cm.). Roots are slender and fibrous. Leaves arise from the base of the plant, all from the same level. They are thick, fleshy with apex drawn out into a pointed structure with prickly margins. Perianth red segmented equaling tube. Flowers arise on a terminal elongated erect inflorescence, older ones being at the base and the youngest at the apex. Stamens are six and shortly exserted. Fruit is an ellipsoidal and three-angled capsule1,2.
Native: Mediterranean
Flower, Fruit: September –January

Alternanthera pugens
Common name: Khaki Weed
Family: Amaranthaceae
Description: A spreading herb. Leaves are simple, stalked, opposite. Flowers are small, inconspicuous and aggregated into a head-like inflorescence1,2.
Native: Neotropics
Flower, Fruit: Throughtout the year.

Alternanthera sessilis
Common name: Joy Weed
Family: Amaranthaceae
Description: A low growing perennial herb rooting at the nodes, prostrate. Leaves linear-elliptic, simple, opposite with variable size and shape. Flowers minute, globose in compact axillary inflorescences.Tepals 5, glabrous. Stamens 3-5, alternating with filamentous staminodes1,2.
Native: Southern Asia
Flower, Fruit : Throughout the year

Alysicarpus vaginalis
Common name : Alyce Clover
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Scandent herb. Leaves 1-foliate, simple, alternate, ovate. Flowers are borne on an erect inflorescence. Petal lobes are exserted and are attractive. The pod is 4-8-jointed, compressed and subterete1,2.
Native : India, Asia, N. America
Flower, Fruit : August -November

Alysicarpus longifolius
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Small glabrous herbs. Leaves are linear to lanceolate, acute. Raceme is 15-25 cm long. Calyx imbricate in fruit, hairy on the back. Pod moniliform, reticulate2.
Native: South Western India
Flower, Fruit: November – Febuary

 

Amaranthus spinosus
Common name: Spiny Amaranth
Family: Amaranthaceae
Description: Branched herbs with prickles. Leaves ovate to lanceolate. Perianth 5 segments. Stamens 5. Seeds compressed, shining and brown2.
Native: Caribbean & Tropical Asia
Flower, Fruit: Throughout the year

Amaranthus viridis
Vernacular name: Chelakeerae soppu
Family: Amaranthaceae
Description: Unarmed herbs with slightly pinkish stem. Leaves ovate, emarginate at apex. Inflorescence spike. Perianth 3 segments. Stamens 3. Seeds Black2.
Native: Tropics
Flower, Fruit: March - April

Andrographis paniculata
Common name : Creat
Family: Acanthaceae
Description: An erect herb, branched. Leaves ovate – elliptic, acute, glabrous. Inflorescence racemes terminal. Calyx-lobes glandular. Corolla upto 1.5 cm long, darker on the lower lip. Capsules linear- oblong. Seeds 12, orbicular2.
Native: Tropics
Flower: September - November

Andrographis serpyllifolia
Common name: Creeping Creat
Family: Acanthaceae
Description: Herb. Leaves are orbicular and glabrous. Flowers subsessile, mostly solitary with small bracts. Corolla is white, lower lip is with violet blotches. Fruit is a capsule1,2.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: June-September

Anisomeles indica
Common name: Indian Catmint
Family: Lamiaceae
Description: Aromatic undershrubs. Stem acutely tetragonus, Cymes sessile. Corolla blusih white to pink. Nutlets 41,2, 3.
Native: Indomalaysia, China
Flower, Fruit : September –November

Annona squamosa
Common name : Custard Apple
Family: Annonaceae
Description: Tree or shrub. Leave elliptic, acute at base, glabrous. Flowers solitary or fascicled. Sepals small. Fruit greenish when ripe1,2, 3.
Native: West Indies
Flower, Fruit : May-January

Anthocephalus chinensis
Family: Rubiaceae
Common name: Kadamb Tree
Description: Deciduous tree flowers are yellow or orange and aggregated into globose and yellow when ripe2, 3.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: July - September

Argemone mexicana
Common name : Mexican Poppy
Family : Papaveraceae
Description: Prickly herbs. Leaves glaucous, pinnatifid, subsessile and amplexicual above. Flowers 3-4 cm across, yellow. Capsule with many seeds2, 3.
Native : West Indies
Flower, frui: Throught out the year

Argyreia cuneata
Vernacular name : Surohanni, Kad Dasala
Family: Convolvulaceae
Description: Silky Suberect shrubs. Leave obovate- lanceolate, broadly cuneate at base, glabrous above. Sepals ovate. Corolla funnel-shaped, bright red. Berry yellow to brown, leathery1,2, 3.
Native: South India
Flower, Fruit: August – January

Aristolochia indica
Common name : Indian Birthwort
Family: Aristolochiaceae
Description: A shrubby twining plant with long slender stem. Leaves are very variable. Flowers are few in a bunch with pale greenish-white petals in a cylindrical tube having a trumpet-shaped mouth. Fruit is a brown globose oblong capsule. Seeds are flat and oval1,2, 3.
Native : India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh
Flower, Fruit : November - December

Artocarpus heterophyllus
Common name : Jack fruit
Family: Moraceae
Description: Moderate sized tree. Leaves alternate, oblong-obovate, entire obtuse, acute at base, dark-green above. Inflorescence in oblong heads, axillary and on old trunk. Flower sunisexual. Fruit multiple, seeds large oblong1,2, 3.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit : February

Asclepias curassavica
Common name : Garden Silk-Weed
Family: Asclepiadaceae
Native : Southern United States, West Indies
Description: A tall erect herb with milky latex. Leaves lanceolate, glabrous except when young. Apex acute to acuminate. Corona lobes long, bright orange1,2, 3.
Flower, Fruit : Throughout the year

 

Asparagus racemosus
Family : Liliaceae
Description: A scandent shrub. Leaves linear-subulate with conical spinous spurs. Racemes solitary or fascicled, simple or branched. Flowers white, pedicels jointed at the middle. Berry globose1,2, 3.
Flower: September – January

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Azadirachta indica
Common name : Neem Tree
Family: Meliaceae
Native : India
Description: A large tree upto 15 m. Leaves compound, ovate- lanceolate, acuminate, leaf rachis to 30 cm long, leaflets 8*2 cm. Flowers elongated, sepals 5, free. Seeds enclosed in a hard shell1,2, 3.
Flower, Fruit : January-July

Bacopa monnieri
Common name: Memory plant
Native: India, Nepal
Family: Plantaginaceae
Description: Prostrate herb with ascending branches. Leaves entire, oblong or obovate. Flowers axillary, pedicelled. Capsule ovoid, apiculate, with peristent style1,2, 3.
Flower, fruit: Throughtout.

Balanites aegyptiaca
Common name: Desert Date
Family: Zygophyllaceae
Native: India, Myanmar
Description: A small tree with grey pubescent. Branches usually terminating as thorns. Leave compound, leaf rachis to 1 cm. elliptic- lanceolate, entire, cuneate at base. Cyme 3-6 flowered. Pedicel 0.8 cm long. Calyx lobes ovates. Drupe ovoid-oblong, shortly appressed pubescent2.
Flower, Fruit: April - May

Balanites aegyptiaca
Common name: Desert Date
Family: Zygophyllaceae
Description: Tree up to 10 m. Leaves made up of two leaflets, variable in size and shape. Flowers are small, inconspicuous, fragrant, and yellowish-green. Fruit is edible, yellow, single seeded.

Balanites sp.
Family: Zygophyllaceae

Bambusa arundinacea
Common name: Thorny Bamboo
Famiy: Poaceae
Native: Southeast Asia
Description: A tall woody bamboo with thorny culms, upto 40 m tall. Leaves thin, linear. Inflorescence is a panicle of enormous size, the branchlets with cluusters of spikelets2,3.
Flowers: Infrequent.

Barleria buxifolia
Common name: Hopehead
Family: Acanthaceae
Native: Indian Archipelago
Description: undershrubs erect to 0.75 m. Leaves sessile, spinous-tipped, hairy, 1*0.8 cm. Flowers solitary and outer calyx lobes large, elliptic, acute, spinoustipped. Corolla to 2.5 cm long, lobes purple1,2.  
Flower, Fruit: July - February

Bauhinia purpurea
Common name: Butterfly tree
Family: Fabaceae
Description: A moderate-sized tree up to 6.5 m high. Leaves alternate, simple, broadly ovate-orbicular, cleft to middle, lobes rounded. Inflorescence a raceme. Flowers are in a panicle, rose to pink. Fruit a pod, flat bean-like, pubescent1,2, 3.
Flowering and fruits: October and May
Native: India, Burma, Vietnam

Bidens pilosa
Family: Asteraceae
Description: Herbs, quadrangular stem. Leaves opposite, ovate-lanceolate, apex acute, base truncate, serrate hairy. Head 1 cm across. Achenes 2.5 mm, setae 2-4 3 mm long3,4.
Native: Tropical America
Flower, Fruit: March - October

Biophytum sensitivum
Common name: Little tree plant
Family: Oxalidaceae
Native: Indomalesia
Description: Herb, slender stem. Leaf rachis 1-6 cm, nearly glabrous, main nerves many, prominent. Peduncle shorter than or as long as leaves. Seeds brown with sharp ridges without tubercles2,3.


Bixa orellana
Common name: Lipstick tree
Family: Bixaceae
Native: America
Description: A large shrub. Leaf simple, 14*9 cm, 5-nerved. Flowers pink. Sepals obovate, obtuse at tip. Capsule ovate, acute, 6*28 cm. grown as ornamental1,2.
Flowers, Fruits: August - October

Blepharis maderapatensis
Common name: Creeping Blepharis
Family: Acanthaceae
Native: India
Description: Prostrate herbs. Leaves whorled, oblong-lanceolate, acute – acuminate, sessile or shortly petioled. Flowers solitary, axillary, corolla to 17 cm long, white1,2.
Flowers, Fruits: November - February

Boerhavia diffusa
Common name: Common Hogweed
Family: Nyctaginaceae
Native: India
Description: A perennial spreading herb. Leaves simple, opposite. Flowers tiny, aggregated at the apex of elongated inflorescence1,2.
Flowers, Fruits: July - September

Bombax ceiba
Common name: Silk Cotton tree
Family: Malvaceae
Native: Tropical Asia
Description: Large tree with buttresses with conical prickles on the stem. Leaves are palmately compound. Flowers are large, crimson red, sometimes appearing white when the tree is leafless. Fruit is a capsule. Seeds embedded2.
Flowers, Fruits: February - May

Borreria articulata
Common name: Jointed Button Weed
Family: Rubiaceae
Native:
Description: Herbs initially erect, then procumbent. Leaves elliptic – lanceolate. Calyx 4-lobed, corolla bluish-white2,5.  
Flowers, Fruits: August - January

Boswellia serrata
Common name: Indian Olibanum tree
Family: Burseraceae
Native: India
Description: A large sized deciduous tree. Leaves unipinnate and crowded at the branch end. Flowers are small, white and occur in fascicled racemes. Fruit is 3 lobed drupe2,3.
Flowers, Fruits: February – May

 

Buchanania lanzan
Common name: Cuddapah Almond
Family: Anacardiaceae
Native: Indomalayan
Description: A large sized evergreen tree. Leaves simple, thickly coriaceous, broad, tomentose beneath with swollen petiole. Inflorescence is a panicle of racemoses. Fruit is a drupe2,3. 
Flowers: January – February,
Fruits: April – May.

Butea monosperma
Common name: Flame of the Forest
Family: Fabaceae
Description: moderate sized deciduous tree up to 8 m high. Leaves alternate, 3-foliate, pulvinate, brown silky pubescent when young. Inflorescence a raceme. Fruit a pod, flat, thickened on the sutures, leathery, oblong. Seed solitary, compressed, obovate1,2,3.
Native: India
Flowering and Fruits: February

Cadaba fruticosa
Vernacular name : Maragacha (Kannada)
Family: Capparaceae
Description: A large shrub or small tree. Leaves simple, elliptic-oblong, acute. Petals 4. Fruit 2 valvular, with orange-red pulp1,2.
Native: India sub-continent
Flower, Fruits: Throughout the year

Caesalpinia coriaria
Common name: Divi divi
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Unarmed tree. Branches glabrous, with numerous lenticles. Leaves compound, alternate. Flowers are small. Greenish- yellow. Pod twisted glossy, glabrous1,2.
Native: Tropical America
Flower, Fruits: July – December

Caesalpinia pulcherrima
Common name: Peacock Flower
Family: Fabaceae
Description: A large shrub or small branched tree. Leaves compound. Flowers in long racemes. Petals subequals, scarlet, red and yellow. Pod obliquely, oblong, compressed, glabrous1,2.
Native: Tropical America

Calophyllum inophyllum
Common name: Common Poon
Family: Clusiaceae
Description: A medium to large size tree with milky latex. Leaves simple. Opposite decussate, oblong- ovate with several closely set parallel lateral veins. Flowers axillary, few-flowered corymbose inflorescence. Fruit hard, globoid2.
Native: Tropical Asia
Flower, Fruits: October - April

Canthium dicoccum
Family: Rubiaceae
Description: evergreen tree. Leaves acuminate bright green above, coriaceous flowers white in axillary cymes. Fruit globose, black1.2.
Native: South India, Burma
Flower, Fruit: December -January

Calotropis gigantea
Common name: Giant Milk- weed
Family: Asclepiadaceae
Description: Perennial shrub with milky latex. Leaves simple in opposite pairs. Flowers showy. Fruits is a pair of follicles with innumerable seeds having white long silky hairs at the end1.2.
Native : Tropical Asia, Tropical Africa
Flower, Fruit: Throughtout the year

 

 

 

Canscora diffusa
Common name: Kilwar
Family: Gentianaceae
Description: Herb. Leaves ovate, elliptic, narrowed at both ends. Flowers in fascicles, sometimes solitary. Corolla pink1.2.
Native: Tropical Africa to Indomalaysia
Flower, Fruit: October - January

Canthium parviflorum
Common name: Carray Cheddle
Family: Rubiaceae
Description: Shrubs armed. Leaves ovate-obovate. Inflorescence a few-flowered cyme. Flowers 4-merous. Fruit drupe, furrowed, obcordate1.2.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: April to January

Capparis sepiaria
Common name: Hedge Caper, Wild Caper Bush
Family: Capparaceae
Description: A large erect or climbing shrub with recurved spines. Leaves are simple, dark green. Inflorescence is an umbel. Fruit is a globose berry with a hard rind1.2.
Native: India, Sri Lanka
Flower, Fruit: April - September

Capparis zeylanica
Common name: Ceylon Capper
Family: Capparaceae
Description: A much- brancehed climbimg shrub. Leaves rough in texture, broadly lanceolate with short, curved spines. Flowers are extra-axillary with 4 greenish white petals. Fruits are ovoid berries, bright scarlet with many seeds1.2.
Native: India
Flower: Throughtout the year

Cardiospermum halicacabum
Common name: Ballon Vine
Family: Sapindaceae
Description: A annual climbing herb. Leaves alternate, broad, segmented with toothed margin. Flowers are small in axillary umbels. Fruit is 3-angled and inflated1.2.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: December - February

Carissa spinarum
Family: Apocynaceae
Description: An erect shrub. Leaves simple, thin and broadly ovate or sub orbicular. Inflorescence is a cyme. Flowers white. Fruit is Berry1.2.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: February - March

 

Cassia fistula
Common name: Indian laburnum
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Tree up to 5 m high. Leaves alternate, pinnate, leaflets up to 8 pairs, ovate-oblong, inflorescence a lax raceme, and drooping up to 50 cm long. Fruit a pod, pendulous, black, cylindrical1.2,3,4.
Native: India, China, Southeast Asia
Flower, Fruits: March – May; Sep.

Cassia hirsuta
Common name: Hairy Sickle Pod
Family: Apocynaceae
Description: Annual hirsute herb. Branchlets are grey –tomentose. Leaves elliptic –oblong. Fruit berry globose or sub-globose1.2,3.
Native: Australia
Flower, Fruits: April - May

Cassia siamea
Common name: Siamese Tree Senna
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Trees. Leaves Compound, long, estipulate, eglandular. Antheriferous stamens2,3.
Flower, Fruits: March - February
Native: South East Asia.

Cassia absus
Common name: Hairy Cassia
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Herb. Branches covered with viscid glandular hairs. Leaves alternate, pinnately compound, often glands on petile. Pod flat, covered with stiff glandular hairs. Seeds black, ovoid, shining2,3.
Native: Africa
Flower, Fruit: September - February

Cassia auriculata
Common name: Tanner’s Cassia
Family: Fabaceae
Description: A large shrub, most colourful when in flower. Leaves pinnately compound with glands opposite to leaflets. Flowers in corymbose racemes are golden yellow. Fruit pod, long2.  
Native: South America
Flower, Fruit: Throughout the year

Cassia occidentalis
Common name: Coffee Weed
Family: Fabaceae
Description: A glabrous undershurbs. Leaves compound, alternate, acuminate, elliptic-ovate. Inflorescence racemes. Fruit pod linear, turgid but compressed, brown with yellow margins2.
Native: Central and South America
Flower, Fruit: October - February

Cassia tora
Common name: Foetid Cassia
Family: Fabaceae
Description: An Annual herb. Leaves with subulate glands between the leaflets, obovate – oblong. Flowers in axillary1,2,3.
Native: Tropics
Flower, Fruit: August - November

Cassine glauca
Common name: Ceylon Teak
Family: Celastraceae
Description: A Mediun to large size evergreen tree. Leaves are simple, ovate to ovate-elliptic with entire or crenate margin. Flowers are white with a green disk and yellow anthers. Fruit drupe2.
Native: Tropics
Flower, Fruit: August - February

Catharanthus roseus
Common name: Periwinkle
Family: Apocynaceae
Description: Branched shurb with smooth grey stem with milky latex. Leaves are shining green, elliptic with narrow base and blunt apex. Fuit is a pair of slender follicles2.
Native: Madagascar
Flower, Fruit: Throughout the year

Celastrus paniculatus
Common name: Staff Tree
Family: Celastraceae
Description: An unarmed climbing shrub. Leaves are simple, elliptic to ovate or obovate with crenate – serrate margin. Flowers are unisexual, white. Fruit is a globose, bright yellow septicidal capsule. Seeds are enclosed in a fleshy scarlet aril1,2.
Native: India, Sri Lanka, Thailand
Flower, Fruit: February - September

Chromolaena odorata
Common name:
Family: Asteraceae
Description: An erect undershurb. Leaves opposite and palmately veined, crenate-serrate. Corolla white to purple. Heads are in corymbose panicles and homogamous, bisexual. Achenes angular2,1.
Native: South America
Flower, Fruit: Novemeber - April

Cissampelos pareira
Common name: Velvet Leaf Climber
Family: Menispermaceae
Description: Twining herbs. Leaves broadly ovoate to suborbicular, rounded to acute at apex. Flowers greenish- white. Drupe scarlet, pubscent1,2.
Native: Tropics
Flower, Fruit: July – October.

Clausena dentata
Common name: Black Currant Grape
Family: Rutaceae
Description: A small aromatic evergreen glabrous tree.Bark black. Leaves are odd pinnate. Inflorescence is a raceme and flowers are greenish-white ,4 merous. Fruit is a ovoid berry, white with age, pulp edible2.
Native: Indo-malayan
Flower, Fruit: April – August

Cleome gynandra
Common name: Spider Flower
Family: Capparaceae
Description: Erect glandular herbs. Leaves compound, subsessile, elliptic- oblanceolate, acute, pubscent. Inflorescence racemose, elongated. Fruit siliqua cylindric, concentrically tribbed and echinate1,2.
Native: Tropics
Flower, Fruit: October

Cleome viscosa
Common name: Wild dog Mustard
Family: Capparaceae
Description: Erect annuals, glandular-pubescent. Leaves compound, flowers in leaf racemes. Fruit siliqua cylindric. Seeds dark, brown, with faint concentric ribs and strong cross ribs1,2.
Native: Indomalesia
Flower, Fruit: August - February

Clerodendrum inerme
Common name: Common Hedge Bower
Family: Verbenaceae
Description: A large Climbing shurb with spreading branches. Leaves simple, opposite, small, ovate and leathery. Flowers in clusters of 3, axillary, fragant. Fruit is small 1-2 seeds1,2.
Native: India, Sri Lanka
Flower, Fruit: Throughout the year.

Clerodendrum serratum
Common name:
Family: Verbenaceae
Description: Herbs or shurbs. Leaves sharply serrate, obovate, acuminate, cuneate and entire at base. Corolla blusih purple. Fruit is drupe purple1,2.
Native: India, Sri Lanka
Flower, Fruit:August - September

Corchorus fascicularis
Family: Tiliaceae
Description: Annual herb. Leaves elliptic or ovate-lanceolate, serrate. Petal glabrous. Capsules oin clusters, densely hairy2.
Fruit, Fruit: December

Corchorus trilocularis
Common name: Three Locule Corchorus
Family: Tiliaceae
Description: A sub- Shrub with purplish stem. Leaves are elliptic, ovate or lanceolate. Inflorescence of 1-3 flowered cymes. Fruit capsule2.
Native: India, Sri Lanka, Old World Tropics
Flower, Fruit: September – December.

Crotalaria pallida
Common name: America Crotalaria
Family: Fabaceae
Description: A large herb. Leaves are trifoliate. Inflorescence racemes many-flowered. Corolla twice as large as calyx and exserted. Pof oblong, much exceeding the calyx2.
Native: Africa
Flower, Fruit: September- April

Crotalaria prostrata
Common name:
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Herbs. Leaves estipulate, obovate- oblong, rounded or obtuse at apex. Raceme leaf- opposed, 2-5 flowered. Pod exserted, glabrous, 10-20 seeded2.
Native: India, Java
Flower, Fruit: October - April

Croton bonplandianus
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Description: Perennial shurb. Leaves are simple, alternat, lanceolate with blunt-toothed margin. Inflorescence terminal, both male and female flowers are on the same branch. Flowers small, inconspicuous. Fruit three-lobed, dehiscing into single seeded bits2.
Native: Temperate South America
Flower, Fruit: Throughout the year.

Cryptolepis buchananii
Common name: Wax-leaved Climber
Family: Asclepiadaceae
Description: A perennial twiner with latex and shiny. Leaves simple opposite. Flowers  on branched inflorescence. Fruit is a pair of follicles. Seeds many and coma silky –white2.
Native: China, Indian subcontinent
Flower, Fruit: March - September

Cucumis melo
Common name: Musk Melon
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Description: Perennial, prostrate, slender, monoecious herbs with thick root stock. Leaves suborbicular, palmately lobed. Flowers solitary, small. Berry rounded or ellipsoid, obscurely trigonous, smooth1,2. 
Native: Paleotropics
Flower, Fruit: September - March

Curculigo orchioides
Common name:  Yellow Groundstar
Family: Liliaceae
Description: Perennial herb. Leaves are strap like on a shortened stem with parallel veins. Flowers are solitary and borne on a long stalk that arises from the base. Fruit is three-lobed capsule1,2.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: India

Cymbopogon nardus
Family: Poaceae
Description: Perennail Blade lanceolate, acuminate, glaucous. Panicle often purplish under dry conditions2.
Native: South India, Sri Lanka
Flower, Fruit: July – September

Cynanchum callialata
Commonn name:
Family: Asclepiadaceae
Description: Climber. Leaves linear-oblong, pubescent on margin, whitish beneath. Peduncles sparsely pubescent. Follicles winged2.
Native: Burma, South India

Cynodon dactylon
Common name: Dhub grass
Family: Poaceae
Description: A perennial grass, extensively creeping by rhizomes. Leaves distichous at base of the culms. Spikes digitate, green or purplish. This grass is found in irrigated field, wetlands and also used for lawns2,3.
Flower, Fruit: August – November.

Cyperus rotundus
Common name: Nut Grass
Family: Cyperaceae
Description: A perennial herb with slender rhizome. Leaves dark grees above. Inflorescence of 3-9 spreading rays bearing large spikelets2,3.
Flower, Fruit : Throughout the year
Native : Africa

 

Dactyloctenium aegyptium
Common name: Egyptian Grass
Family: Poaceae
Description: An annual grass. Culms erect or prostrate. Leaves are linear- acuminate, glaucous. Spikes digitately radiating. Lemmas cuspidate2,3.
Native: Old World Tropics
Flower, Fruit: Throughout the year.

Dalbergia sissoo
Common name: North Indian Rosewood
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Tall Deciduous tree. Leaves pinnately compound. Flowers are small, pale yellow, in axillary panicles. Fruit pods are tongue-shaped, borne on long stalks2,3.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: February - October

Dalbergia latifolia
Common name: East Indian Rosewood
Family: Fabaceae
Description: A large erect deciduous tree. Leaves are compound, which are broad at the free end. Flowers are small, white, appear on an axillary panicle. Fruit is 1-4 seeded, rather flattedned pod2,3.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: May - September

Delonix elata
Common name: White Gulmohar
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Tall tree. Leaves are compound, chartaceous, base cuneate, margin entire. Racemes terminal corymbose. Flowers yellowish white. Pod pale to dark brown, linear or oblanceolate, glabrous2.
Flower, Fruit: December – June

Desmodium triflorum
Common name: Three Flowered Ticktrefoil
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Wiry, Spreading herbs, rooting at basal node. Leaves 3 foliate, obtuse of emarginate apex. Calyx incised more than halfway. Pod linear, continuous along upper suture2,3.
Native: Old World Tropics
Flower, Fruit: September - December

Dichrostachys cinerea
Common name: Sickel Bush
Familiy: Fabaceae
Description: Shurb. Leaves are compound, pubescent beneath. Spikes are 45 cm long, yellow flowers, pod with 6-10 seeded, indehiscent 2.
Native: Indo-malaysia. Australia
Flower, Fruit: November

Dioscorea pentaphylla
Family : Dioscoreaceae
Description: Climber. Leaves 3-5-foliate. Leaflets digitate, ovate-elliptic. Male spikes in axillary or terminal panicles. Female racemes 2-3-nate. Fruit Capsule longer than broad. Seeds winged only at base2.
Native: Tropical Africa to Malaysia
Flower, Fruit: August – November

Diospyros montana
Common name: Mountain Persimmon
Family: Ebenaceae
Description: Tree. Leaves compound, leaf blade elliptic- oblong. Male flowers in cymese. Flowers 4-merous. Fruit berry globose, glabrous. Seeds 8, smooth2,3.
Native: India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Australia
Flower, Fruit: March - April

Dodonaea viscosa
Family: Sapindaceae
Description: A small tree. Leaves simple, linear –oblong to marrowly oblanceolate. Flowers are polygamous, corolla is white with recurved margin. Fruit is capsule broad with wings2,3.
Native: India, Sri Lanka Tropics
Flower, Fruit: October - March

Diplocyclos palmatus
Common name: Lollipop climber
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Description: Slender, tuberous herbs. Leaves membranous upper scabrous, lower smooth opr slightly scabrous. Flowers fascicled, small, greenish-yellow2,3.
Native: India, South east Asia, Tropical Africa
Flower, Fruit: August – September

 

Echinops echinatus
Family: Asteraceae
Description: Woody Herb. Leaves lanceolate, amplexicaul pinnatisect with creanations. Head densely bearded. Floret white2.
Native: Afghanistan, India
Flower, Fruit: February - March

 

Eclipta prostrata
Common name: Field Aster
Family: Asteraceae
Description: A small herb. Leaves opposite, sessile, lanceolate. Flowers in axillary or terminal peduncled heads. Achenes cuneate2.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: November - February  

Emilia sonchifolia
Common name: Pink Emilia
Family: Asteraceae
Description: A diffuse annual herb. Leaves are simple, auriculate at base. Flowers heads small, clusters on long stalk. Cypsela are slender, ribbed2.
Native: Old World Tropics
Flower, Fruit: September - December

Erythroxylon monogynum
Common name: Red cedar
Family: Erythroxylaceae
Description: Shurb to Small tree. Leaves simple, alternate, rarely distichous, slender, grooved above, glabrous, chartaceous. Flowers white, soliatry, Fruit a drupe, glabrous, reddish, seed one3,5.
Flowering and Fruit: Throughout the year

Euphorbia heterophylla
Common name: Green Poinsettia
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Description: erect herbs. Leaves alternate below, opposite above, cyathia in clusters of 1-3, gland circular, Schizocarp glabrous. Seeds coarsely and bluntly tuberculate, angular3.
Native: Tropical America
Flower, Fruit: Throughout the year.

Euphorbia thymifolia
Common name: Gulf Sandmat
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Description: An annual delicate herb. Leaves elliptic with oblique base. Inflorescence are clustered in leaf axils. Male flowers several, slightly exceeding involucres, female flower 1 with short stipe3.
Native: Caribbean Territory
Flower, Fruit: June – November.

Eucalyptus Sp.
Family: Myrtaceae

 

Euphorbia hirta
Common name: Common Spurge
Family: Euphoribaceae
Description:Procumbent herbs. Leaves opposite, obliquely elliptic, acute, hairy. Cyathia axillary, in capitate cymes, gland minute. Seeds angular3.
Native: India, Nepal, Sri Lanka
Flower, Fruit: Throughout the year

Evolvulus alsinoides
Common name: Little Glory
Family: Convolvulaceae
Description: small herb, stem is slender. Leaves are ovate- elliptic, alternate and silky hairy. Flowers are small and solitary. Fruit is globose capsule3,4.
Native: Tropical Africa, Asia
Flower, Fruit: July – November

Ficus religiosa
Common name: Peepal tree
Family: Moraceae
Description: A deciduous large tree. Leaves are simple, heart-shaped with the apex drwan into a tail –like structure. Figs are globose, small and purplish. Bark yellowis or grey-brown, smooth becoming scaly with age3,4.
Native: India, Burma
Flower, Fruit: March - April

Ficus racemosa
Common name: Cluster Fig
Family: Moraceae
Description: a large tree with latex. Leaves are simple, ovate, glossy green. Galls are found on the leaf. Figs on short, tomentose when young, obovoid, reddish when ripe3,4.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: Throughout the year.

Gloriosa superba
Common name: Malabar Glory Lily
Family: Liliaceae
Description: Climbing Shrub. Leaves oblong to ovate – lanceolate. Stigma introrse. Capsule green, smooth, oblong1,2,3,4.
Native: Paleotropics
Flower, Fruit: August - October

Gmelina arborea
Common name: White Teak
Family: Verbenaceae
Description: Unarmed deciduous tree. Leaves broadly heart-shaped, entire, ovate, acuminate, chartaceous. Flowers arise in branching clusters towards the end of twigs. Drupe is 2-3 cm long and yellow when ripe1,2,3.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: April - May

Gmelina asiatica
Common name: white Teak
Family: Verbenaceae
Description: Armed shrub to tree. Leaves chartaceous, elliptic, ovate, glabrous, glaucous beneath. Flowers in axillary, puberulous without. Drupe yellow, obovate, seeds 21,2,3.
Flower: May- August, Fruit: November - February

Gymnema sylvestre
Common name: Periploca of the woods
Family: Asclepiadaceae
Description: Climber. Leaves ovate to oblong, sparsely to densely pubescent. Corolla lobes 2-4 mm long, pale yellow1,2,3.
Flower, Fruit: April - October

Hackelochola granularis
Family: Poaceae
Description: Annual Culm erect. Leaf blade linear- lanceolate, Racemes 5-15 mm long. Spikelet sessile. Pedicelled spikelet 1.5 – 2.5 mm long4.
Native: Tropics
Flower, Fruit: June - September

Heliotropium indicum
Common name: Indian Heliotrop
Family: Boraginaceae
Description: An annual, erect, branched herb. Leaves ovate to oblong – ovate. Flowers are small with green calyx, ovary four – lobed2.
Native: India, Sri Lanka, Nepal
Flower, Fruit: April – July

Hemidesmus indicus
Common name: Indian Sarasa parilla
Family: Asclepiadaceae
Description: A straggler with milky latex. Leaves are simple, opposite decussate, glabrous abobe. Flowers are crowded in subsessile cymes. Fruit is a follicle and seeds are with brownish-white hairs2,3.
Native: India, Sri Lanka
Flower, Fruit: Throughout the year

Heteropogon contortus
Common name: Tangle head Grass
Family: Poaceae
Description: Annual or perennial grass with strongly- tufted stems. Leaf blade are lanceolate. Solitary Inflorescence, spike like silky hairy raceme with minute flowers2. 
Native: Californa
Flower, Fruit: July – November

Hibiscus – rosa-sinensis
Common name: China Rose
Family: Malvaceae
Description: large shrub to small tree. Leaves simple, alternate, shiny. Flowers are glorious, solitary, Fruit Capsule glabrous, ovoid1.
Native: East Asia

Holarrhena pubescens
Common name: Tellicherry bark
Family: Apocynaceae
Description: A small deciduous tree. Leaves acute or shortly acuminate at apex. Flowers white fragrant. Fruit in long paired follicles, white dotted, curved2.
Native: India- Malay Peninsula
Flower, Fruit: March - June

Holoptelea integrifolia
Common name: Jungle Cork Tree
Family: Ulmaceae
Description: Deciduous tree. Leaves are simple, entire with lateral and membranous stipules. Flowers are unisexual and are borne in fascicles. Samara emarginate at apex with persistent stigma2,3.
Native: India and South-east Asia
Flower, Fruits: October - February

Hybanthus enneaspermus
Common name: Orange Spade Flower
Family: Violaceae
Description: Herb. Leaves are linear-lanceolate with shallowly –crenate margin. Flowers are axillary, bilipped. Fruit is a capsule. Seeds striate2,3.
Native: Tropics, South Asia
Flower, Fruit: July- December

Hyptis suaveolens
Common name: American Mint
Family: Lamiaceae
Description: Aromatic herbs. Leaves ovate, obtuse, rounded at base. Flowers are small, pale blue, in axillaryu compact clusters at the branch apices. Fruit is a group of four nutlets2,3.
Native: Tropical America
Flower, Fruit: September - February

Ichnocarpus frutescens
Common name: Slender Dog-Bane
Famliy: Apocynaceae
Description: An Evergreen woody liana wuthg milky sap. Leaves are elliptic-oblong or lance-shaped. Flowers are borne in many flowered clusters, fruit is follicle2,3.
Native: Tropical Asia
Flower, Fruit: August - December

Indigofera astragalina
Common name: Silky Indigo
Family: Fabaceae
Description: A hardy annual with dense silky hairs on the stems. Leaves are compound, leaflets elliptic and rounded at the apex. Flowers are small, clustered in long. Pod ios hairy2,3.
Native: India, Sri Lanka
Flower, Fruit: September - February

Indigofera tinctoria
Common name: Common Indigo
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Undershurb. Leaves compound, opposite, obovate- oblong. Pod linear, slightly curved, sparsely hairy. Seeds 6- 102.
Native: Tropics

Indoneesiella echioides
Family: Acanthaceae
Description: Herb. Leaves oblong to oblanceolate, apex obtuse or rounded, margin entire, ciliate, base acute. Racemes axillary, shorter than leaves. Capsule ellipsoid. Seeds 4, ovoid- oblong2.
Native: Tropics
Flower, Fruit: Augist – December

Ipomoea pes-caprae
Common name: Goat’s foot creeper
Family: Convolvulaceae
Description: Herb. Leaves deeply 2-lobed, sometimes merely emarginate, parallel veined. Flowers usually solitary, Sepals unequal, apiclate, glabrous. Capsules ovoid to depressed – globular. Seeds densely brownish- tomentose2.
Flower, Fruit: November - February

Ixora arborea
Common name: Small flowered Ixora
Family: Rubiaceae
Description: Shrubs or trees. Leaves elliptic –lanceolate, coriaceous. Calyx teeth obscute. Corolla white, shortly lobed. Drupe red, slightly lobed2
Native: India, Sri Lanka
Flower, Fruit: February – March

Jasminum roxburghianum
Family: Oleaceae
Description: Climbing Shrub. Leave ovate, subcordate, Calyx lobes 5, hairy, rounded, Corolla white, ovate, acute2,4.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: June - September

Jatropha glandulifera
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Description: Shrub. Leaves palmately 3-5-lobed, margin glandular, serrate, shortly acuminate. Flowers greenish-yellow, bracts lanceolate, with gland-tipped hairs on the margin. Sepals free. Schizocarp rugose2,3,4.
Native: Tropcial Africa, Sri Lanka

Jatropha curcas
Common name: Purging nut
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Description: Shurb. Sap is watery. Leaves are broad, angular with 3-5 lobes ending in sharp points. Male and female on the same plant, greenish –yellow. Fruit is distnctly three lobes2.
Native: Tropical America
Flower, Fruit: December - June

Justicia simplex
Common name: Common small Justicia
Family: Acanthaceae
Description: Creeping herbs. Leaves subsessile, ovate-linear. Spikes many-flowered, bracts broad, scarious. Fruit capsule with few seeded2,3,4.
Native: India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan
Flower, Fruit: July - September

Kirganelia reticulata
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Description: shurb. Leaves alternate, distichous, elliptic-oblong. Perianth lobes oblong – obovate, with scarious margin. Fruit globosem bluish-black when ripe2.
Native: Paleotropics
Flower, Fruit: September – April

Lantana camera
Common name: Sweet Sarah
Family: Verbenaceae
Description: Shrub, recurved prickles. Leaves opposite, ovate, acuminate, cordate- acute at base. Spikes corymbose – umbellate. Corolla pink, red or yellow, pubescent outside2,3.
Native: Tropical America
Plants aromatic, very troublesome and spreading rapidly.

Lepidagathis cristata
Family: Acanthaceae
Description: Creeping herb. Leaves linear-oblong, glabrous, Spikes capitate, mostly crowded on lower nodes. Calyx lobes bract-like with a short spine. Corolla hairy, white, lower lip with middle lobe larger2,3.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: Throughout the year
Endemism: Peninsular India

Leucaena leucocephala
Common name: Wild tamarind
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Scrubby tree. Leaves compound, leaflets oblong-lanceolate, acute. Calyx 2-3 mm long. Corolla pale green. Pod straight, flat. Seeds 15-202,3.
Native: Tropical America
Flower, Fruit: June- October

Leucas aspera
Common name: Common Leucas
Family: Lamiaceae
Description: Herb up to 50 cm tall. Leaves linear or narrowly oblong-lanceolate, base acute or cuneate. Verticilis axillary and terminal, distantly arranged, many-flowered, bracts –linear, ciliate. Nutlets smooth, brown, truncate at apex2,3.
Flower, Fruit: Throughout the year

Limonia acidissima
Common name: Wood Apple
Family: Rutaceae
Description: Deciduous tree. Leaves are compound pinnately and aromatic. Flowers are small and arranged in panicles. Fruits are large, globose, of the size of a tennis ball with a hard shell2,3.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: March - April

Madhuca longifolia
Family: Sapotaceae
Description: Deciduous tree with milky latex and spreading branches. Leaves are crowded at the branch ends. Sepals ovate-lanceolate. Fruit berry globose, often with oblique apex2,3.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: February - March

Mallotus philippensis
Common name: Kamala tree
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Description: Evergreen tree. Leaves simple, ovate-lanceolate and strongly three-nerved with minute glands underneath. Flowers are unisexual, male and female flowers occuring on different trees in terminal elongate inflorescence. Fruit is a three-lobed orange –red small capsule2,3.
Native: Asia
Flower, Fruit: November

Mangifera indica
Common name: Mango
Family: Anacardiaceae
Description: Evergreen tree. Leaves are simple, acute or acuminate at apex. Flowers are small, bisexual, reddish-white or  yellowish-green. Fruit is a single-seeded fleshy drupe2,3.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: January - June

Maytenus emarginata
Common name: Thorny Staff Tree
Family: Celastraceae
Description: Shurb. Leaves glabrous, obtuse and serrate. Capsule globose up to 0.5 cm long. Seeds arillate in the lower half2,3.
Native: Indomalesia
Flower, Fruit: December - February

Michelia champaca
Common name: Champak Tree
Family: Magnoliaceae
Description: Evergreen tree. Leaves are alternate and simple, margin entire and wavy. Flowers are solitary, showy and fragrant. Fruit is an aggregate of follicles2,3.
Native: India, Malaysia
Flower, Fruit: May - December

Mimosa pudica
Common name: Tocuh- me-not
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Prickly herb. Compound leaves, acute at apex. Head globose.
Pod is flat with constrictions between seeds2,3.
Native: South America
Flower, Fruit: July - October

Mitragyna parviflora
Common name: True Kadamb
Family: Rubiaceae
Description: Deciduous tree with buttressed stem. Leaves simple, opposite. Flowers are creamy white, globose heads. Fruit is a composite dry globose head2,3.
Native: India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh
Flower, Fruit: May- August

Mollugo pentaphylla
Common name: Carpet Weed
Family: Aizoaceae
Description: Herb, glabrous. Leaves in whorls, linear-lanceolaye yo obovate, acute. Flowers white, numerous in lax xorymbose cymes. Capsule is oblong2,3.
Native: India, Sri Lanka, Tropical America
Flower, Fruits: July- January

Mucuna pruriens
Common name: Velvet Bean
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Climbing Shrub. Leaves are trifoliate, leaflets are ovate-rhomboid and acute. Flowers are in axillary clusters, fruits are cylindrical, densely hairy2,3.
Native: Tropical Africa, India, Caribbean
Flower, Fruit: November - January

Muntingia calabura
Common name: Bird’s Cherry
Family: Elaeocarpaceae
Description: Moderate sized tree with drooping branches. Leaves lanceolate, serrate, acute, densely tomentose, linear tomentose. Flowers extra-axillary, solitary, subulate. Fruit berry, globose-ovoide, brownish-black. Seeds many, embedded in pulpy juice2,3.
Native: South America
Flower, Fruit: January

Mukia maderaspatana
Common name: Madras Pea Pumkin
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Description: Climbing annual herb. Leaves alternate, slightly lobed, triangular, varying in shape and size. Flowers are small, axillary. Fruit is fleshy, small and often striped2,3.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: August - October

Nerium oleander
Common name: Oleander
Family: Apocynaceae
Description: A large shrub. Leaves linear-lanceolate, tapering at both ends, glabrous. Flowers pink/white. Follicles cylindrical up to 10 cm2,3. 
Native: Mediterranean region
Flower, Fruit: More or less throughout the year

Nymphaea nouchali
Common name: Star water Lily
Family: Nymphaeaceae
Description: A perennial aquatic herb with large floating leaves. Flowers are large, fragrant, showy and open throughout the day2.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: January - December

Opuntia stricta
Family: Cactaceae
Description: Branching shrub. Joints flat, obovate, flattened yellowish spines. Flowers 8 cm long. Petals bright yellow. Fruit berry globose, fleshy, areolat2.
Native: America
Flower : January - August

Oxalis corniculata
Common name: Common Sorel
Family: Oxalidaceae
Description: Small herb with underground tuber. Leaves trifoliate. Flowers small on few flowered elongated inflorescence. Fruit capsule2.
Native: Cosmopolitan
Flower, Fruit: January - December

Parthenium hysterophorus
Common name: Congress Weed
Family: Asteraceae
Description: herb. Leaves pubescent, lobes entire, acute. Flowers are minute and aggregated into a compact flower-like inflorescence. Fruit is small2.
Native: West Indies, Central & North America
Flower, Fruit: Throughout the year

Passiflora foetida
Common name: Foetid Passion Flower
Family: PAssifloraceae
Description: Climbing shrub with simple alternate lobed leaves and tendrils. Flowers are 4cm or more across, attractive and solitary. Fruit is globose2.
Native: Tropical South America
Flower, Fruit: November - July

Pavonia odorata
Family: Malvaceae
Description: Herb. Leaves ordicular- ovate, acute. Calyx 0.4 cm long, lobed to below middle. Corolla 1.3 cm long2.
Native: East Tropical Africa
Flower, Fruit: September - October

Peltophorum pterocarpum
Common name: Copper pod
Family: Fabaceae
Description: A large deciduous tree, upto 20 m high. Leaves are bipinnately compound and pubescent. Flowers are in a terminal panicle, golden yellow with brownish stripes. Fruit is a pod 5-10 cm long, copper coloured2,3.
Flowering: Summer months
Native: Sri Lanka, Sutheast Asia

Pergularia daemia
Common name: Trellis Vine
Family: Asclepiadaceae
Description: Climbing shrub with milky latex. Leaves are ovate, base deeply cordate and apex acuminate. Inflorescence in umbelliform racemes. Follicles paired, curved and echinate all over2,3.
Native: Tropical Asia, Africa
Flower, Fruit: July - January

Phyla nodiflora
Common name: Purple lippia
Family: Verbenaceae
Description: Herb. Leaves small having characteristic toothed marginal lobes. Flowers are tiny on terminal small compact heads. Fruit a small nut2,3.
Native: India, Sri Lanka, Nepal
Flower, Fruit: Throughout the year

Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Description: Erect Herb. Leaves obovate, glabrous with cuneate base. Flowers are axillary, solitary. Capsule smooth2,3.
Native: Inida, Sri Lanka, Old World Tropics
Flower, Fruit: Throughout the year

Phyllanthus urinaria
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Description: Erect herbs. Stipules peltate, ovate-lanceolate, oblong-elliptic. Perianth lobes 6, Fruit capsule verucose. Seeds transversely ridged2,3.
Native: Tropics
Flower, Fruit: May – September

Phyllanthus virgatus
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Description: Herb. Leaves alternate, elliptic-oblong, subsessile. Flowers are pedicellate, male flowers on shorter pedicels with oblong sepals. Fruit is a globose capsule2,3.
Native: China
Flower, Fruit: April - September

Phyllanthus emblica
Common name: Indian Gooseberry
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Description: tree. Leaves apiculate, obtuse, rounded or cordate at base, glaucous beneath. Flowers usually monoecious. Fruit fleshy more than 1.5 cm in diameter2,3.
Native: India, South-east Asia
Flower, Fruit: July - February

Phyllanthus fraternus
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Description: erect herb. Stipules lanceolate, basally attached. Leaf blade oblong – elliptic, obtuse at apex. Perianth 5 lobes, filaments connate, anther subglobose. Seeds trigonous, minutely tubercled in regular concentric lines2,3.
Native: Tropics except Australia
Flower, Fruit: Novemeber - July

Physalis minima
Common name: Country gooseberry
Family: Solanaceae
Description: Herb. Leaves sinuate or toothed, ovate, entire. Fruiting calyx 1.5 – 2 cm long, scarious, teeth connivent. Corolla yellow, sometimes purplish withinin at base, fruit berry. Seeds minutely rugose2,3.
Flower, Fruit: August - January

Pithecellobium dulce
Common name: Manila Tamarind
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Deciduous tree. Leaves are alternate, compound with small leaflets. Flowers are minute with tufts of long projecting stamens. Pod is twisted, few-seeded with constrictions between seeds2,3.
Native: Mexico, South America, West Indies
Flower, Fruit: February - March

Plumbago zeylanica
Common name: White Plumbago
Family: Plumbaginaceae
Description: Herb. Leaves simple, alternate. Flowers with a long narrow tube. The sepals are covered with conspicuous glands. Fruit capsule2,3.
Native: India, Sri Lanka, Pantropics
Flower, Fruit: December - April

Plumeria alba
Family: Apocynaceae
Description: Small tree. Leaves narrow, large, oblong – lanceolate. Strongly perfumed white flowers with a yellow centers. Fruit are cylindrical pods2,3.
Native: Central America, Caribbean

Polycarpaea corymbosa
Family: Caryophyllaceae
Description: An erect herb. Leaves are simple, linear, opposite whorls. Flowers are small in compact bunches of white with pink tinge. Fruit is a capsule. Seeds compressed2,3.
Native: Africa, Asia, Australia
Flower, Fruit: August – March

Polygala arvensis
Common name: Common Polygala
Family: Polygalaceae
Description: An erect herb with woody rootstock. Leaves sesile, elliptic or oblanceolate. Flowers are in axillary racemes. Fruit capsule2,3.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: June - January

Pongamia pinnata
Common name: Indian elm
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Moderate sized tree upto 7 m high. Leaves alternate, pinnate, stipules small, oblong, cadcous. Inflorescence a panicled raceme, axillary and terminal. Fruit a pod, oblong-obovoid, compressed, woody. Seeds solitary, reniform, brown at both ends2,3.
Native: India
Flowering and Fruits: March – April

Pterocarpus marsupium
Common name: Indian Kino Tree
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Deciduous tree with often straight trunk. Leaves alternate, pinnately compound with leathery and entire leaflets. Flowers terminal, highly branched inflorescence. Fruit winged one-seeded indehiscent pod2,3.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: August - October

Pterocarpus santalinus
Common name: Red sandalwood
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Small to medium-sized tree. Leaves usually imparipinnate, leaflets 3, rarely 4-5, broadly ovate or orbicular, coriaceous. Flowers yellow, borne a few together in simple ot sparingly branched racemes. Fruit pods pbliquely orbicular. Seeds 1-2, reddish –brown, smooth, leathery3.
Native: Peninsular India
Flower, Fruit: September – January

Pterolobium hexapetalum
Common name: White brasiletto climber
Familiy: Fabaceae
Description: shrub. Leaf rachis 12 -18 cm long, prickly, oblong, obtuse or retuse at apex. Calyx rose, corolla yellowish-white. Filaments villous. Pod pinkish-red2,3.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: August - February

Rhynchosia minima
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Herbs. Stipules lanceolate, leaflets rhomboid, acute. Raceme 6-9 cm long, 7-9- flowered. Corolla yellow. Pod oblong, slightly bent upwards2,3.
Native: Tropics
Flower, Fruit: May - January

Rothia indica
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Annual herbs. Leaflets obovate-oblong to oblanceolate, acute or obtuse, membranous. Pod appressed-villous2,3.
Native: India, Sri Lanka, Australia
Flower, Fruity: August - October

Santalum album
Common name: Sandal wood
Family: Santalaceae
Description: small evergreen semi-parasitic native tree. Leaves are simple, opposite, glossy and elliptic. Flowers are small, purplish-brown, borne in loose clusters in terminal as well as axillary paniculate cymose inflorescence2,3.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: late summer and between October - December

Saraca asoca
Common name: Flowering ashoka
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Trees, upto 3.5 m high. Leaves alternate, pinnate, upto 20 cm long, rachis glabrous. Inflorescence a corymb, axillary. Fruit a pod, linear-oblong, black, narrow at both filaments slender2,3.
Native: India, Sri Lanka
Flower, Fruit : March -August

Scutia myrtina
Common name:  Cat Thorn
Family: Rhamnaceae
Description: Prickly shrub. Leaves simple and opposite. Flowers small axillary clusters. Fruit globose, small and smooth2,3.
Native: India, Sri Lanks, Myanmar, Africa
Flower, Fruit: February - September

 

Sebastiania chamaelea
Common name: Creeping Sebastiana
Familiy: Euphorbiaceae
Description: Herb. Leaves linear-oblong, obtuse or apiculate, apex, acute at base. Calyx lobes usually fimbriate. Schizocarp with 2 rows of reddish2.
Native: Paleotroics
Flower, Fruit: August - November

 

Securinega virosa
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Description: Deciduous shrubs. Leaves obovate, elliptic-oblong, apiculate or emarginate at apex. Fruit white with age2.
Native: Paleotropics
Flower, Fruit: April - May

Sesbania grandiflora
Common name: Vegetable Humming Bird
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Small wooded tree. Leaves upto 30 cm long. Leaflets glabrous or pubescent on both surfaces, Racemes 2-4-flowered. Flowers 5-10 cm long. Corolla sickle-shaped, red, pink or white. Pod tetragonous, margin thickened2.
Native: Indonesia
Flower, Fruit: February -March

Sida acuta
Family: Malvaceae
Description: Erect herb. Stipules linear-lancelate, Petiole to 5 mm long, blade ovate or linear-lanceolate, serrate. Pedicels equal to or longer than petiole. Calyx lobes triangular, acute. Cocci 7, shortly awned2,3.
Native: Pantropical
Flower, Fruit: August - February

Sida cordata
Common name: Heart-leaved Sida
Family: Malvaceae
Description: Herb. Leaves simpke, ovate-cordate, serrate with stellate hairs. Flowers yellow. Ovary 5-carpellate, sparsely hairy at the apex, beakshort, 2-dentate2,3.
Native: India, Sri Lanka, Tropical Africa
Flower, Fruit: July - February

Sida cordifolia
Common name: Country Mallow
Family: Malvaceae
Description: A branched herb, soft hairy. Leaves are ovate with cordate base and toothed. Flowers are small, axillary. Fruits are round with fruitlets having 2 short spines2,3.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: October - February

Sida rhombifolia
Family: Malvaceae
Description: A branched minutely hairy herb. Leaves are variable, ovate-elliptic or rhomboid, coarsely-toothed. Flowers are in cymose clusters2,3.
Native: India, Nepal
Flower, Fruit: January - December

Solanum americanum
Common name: Black Nightshade
Family: Solanaceae
Description: Herb. Leaves broadly ovate, entire or slightly lobed. Flowers axillary umbellate cymes, 4-8 flowered. Petals white. Fruit is a black berry2,3.
Native: India, Sri Lanka
Flower, Fruit: Throughout the year

Solanum xanthocarpum
Common name: Yellow berried Nightshade
Family: Solanaceae
Description: Prickly prostrate herbs with armed spines. Flowers axillary, voilet. Fruit berry 25 mm across, reddish, smooth, seeds flate, not pitted4.
Native: Pantropical
Flower, Fruit: Throughout the year

Sopubia delphinifolia
Common name: Common Sopubia
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Description: An erect herb. Leaves are opposite, long, linear and needle-like. Flowers olitary, axillary or in few flowered inflorescence. Corolla is trumpet-shaped with the frre lobes spreading. Fruit is capsule2.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: August- January

Stachytarpheta jamaicensis
Common name: Devil’s Coach
Family: Verbenaceae
Description: Tall herb. Leaves elliptic-ovate, obtuse or acute at apex, cuneate and decurrent at base, glabrous on both surfaces. Calyx compressed. Corolla 8-11 mm long, blue-purple2.
Native: Tropical America
Flower: More or less throughout the year

Stachytarpheta indica
Family: Verbenaceae
Description: A perennial undershrub. Leaves are simple, opposite with characteristic toothed margin. Flowers are small2.
Native: Tropical America
Flower, Fruit: October - April

Synedrella nodiflora
Common name: Cindrella weed
Family: Asteraceae
Description: An erect herb. Leaves are opposite, elliptic and palmately veined. Flowering heads many, sessile, axillary. Florests yellow. Achenes black. Pappus is of 2-3 bristly awns2.
Native: West Indies
Flower, Fruit: July - December

Syzygium cumini
Common name: Indian Blackberry
Family: Myrtaceae
Description: An elegant tall tree. Leaves simple, elliptic, lush-green abd leathery with insect galls. Numerous flowers aggregate into dense cluster with numerous long, white stamens. Edible fruits are globose to oblong, which are deep-purple to black when ripe. Bark grey and rough2.
Native: South-east Asia
Flower, Fruit: February - September

Tabernaemontana divaricata
Common name: East Indian Rosebay
Family: Apocynaceae
Description: Small tree. Leaves elliptic-oblong, unequal, glabrous, shining, apex, margin entire. Flowers white. Follicles turgidly oblong, spreading and recurved. Seeds with a fleshy red aril2.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: Throughout the year

Tamarindus indica
Common name: Tamarind
Family: Fabaceae
Description: medium to large size deciduous tree. Leaves are pinnately compound with small leaflets. Flowers are small on long inflorescence, pale green and pink colour with 3 unequal sized petals. Fruit is a bean like pod, fleshy, green at first, ripening cinnamon-brown1,2.
Native: Tropical Africa
Flower, Fruit: Late Summer

Tecoma stans
Common name: Yellow Bells
Family: Bignoniaceae
Description: An evergreen shrub. Leaves compound with variable number of leaflets. Flowers in terminal panicles showy and yellow. Fruit linear capsule. Seeds winged2,3.
Native: Tropical America
Flower, Fruit: January onwards

Tephrosia purpurea
Common name: Common Tephrosia
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Erect undershrub. Leaves are even pinnate. Inflorescence is a many-flowered raceme. Fruit is a pod which is slightly curved2,3.
Native: India, Sri Lanka, Old World Tropics
Flower, Fruit: All seasons

Tephrosia villosa
Common name: Shaggu wild Indigo
Family: Fabaceae
Description: A hairy herb. Leaves compound, alternate with 11-19 pairs of leaflets. Leaflets lanceolate and retuse. Flowers in terminal clusters. Fruit is a flattened, curved and hairy pod with 6-8 seeds2,3.
Native: India, Sri Lanka, Tropical Africa
Flower, Fruit: July - September

Terminalia arjuna
Common name: White Murdah
Family: Combretaceae
Description: An evergreen tree with buttressed trunk and drooping branchlets. Leaves simple, oblong, crenulate and leathery in texture. Flowers are small, white and borne on catkins. Fruit is ovoid with 5-7 angles or wings2,3.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: May- February

Terminalia bellirica
Common name: Belliric Myrobalan
Family: Combretaceae
Description: Trees. Leaves clustered at ends of branchlets, coriaceous, broadly elliptic, rarely obtuse, cuneate at base. Spikes clustered towards apex, simple, flowers creamy –white. Fruits ovoidm slightly 5-ridged, brown-pubescent2,3.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: January - September

Thunbergia alata
Common name: Black-eyed Susan Vine
Family: Acanthaceae
Description: Slender climber. Leaves simple opposite, heart-shaped. Flowers are large, showy, brown-centered with pair of broad wing-like structure. Fruit is a few-seeded capsule2,3.
Native: Tropical Africa
Flower, Fruit: October - November

Thespesia populnea
Common name: Portia tree
Family: Malvaceae
Description: Tree upto 8 m high. Leaves alternate. Flowers axillary, solitary, bracteoles caducous. Fruit a capsule, subglobose, covered with peltate scales, yellow latex present. Seeds ovoid, channelled along the back, pubescent2,3.
Native: India, Africa, Pacific Isles
Flower, fruit: Monsoon

Tinospora cordifolia
Common name: Heartleaf Moonseed
Family: Menispermaceae
Description: Climbing shurb. Leaves cordate and glabrous. Flowers are unisexual in racemes. Petals 6 and greem. Stamens 6 and free. Female flowers consists of Staminodes. Fruit is a drupe, globose, green turning orange to red2,3.
Flower, Fruit: September – April
Native: India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka

Toddalia asiatica
Common name: Orange Climber
Family: Rutaceae
Description: Climbing shrub with prickles on stem, petiole and lower surface of leaves. Leaf elliptic or oblanceolate, obtuse at apex. Corolla white. Fruit distinctly lobed2,3.
Native: South India
Flower, Fruit: January - September

Tragia involucrata
Common name: Forget-me-not
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Description:Herb wityh stinging hairs. Leaves simple, ovate-lanceolate, margin serrate. Flowers axillary, very small, pale yellow with 3 petals. Fruit 3-lobed capsule2.
Native: India, Sri Lanka, Nepal
Flower, Fruit: November - January

Tribulus terrestris
Common name: Puncture Vine
Family: Zygophyllaceae
Description: Herb. Leaves compound, opposite, lanceolate stipules. Flowers pedicelled, solitary, axillary, sepals 5, acute, yellow, equalling sepals, hairy. Mericarps with 2 large and 2 smaller spines2.
Native: Paleotropics
Flower, Fruit:

Trichodesma indicum
Common name: Indian Borage
Family: Boraginaceae
Description:Herb. Leaves simple, alternate, hairy on the upper and lower surface. Flowers are white, solitary. Calyx lobes ovate, acuminate. Corolla white, lobes rounded, apiculate. Nutlets smooth2.
Native: India, Nepal, Sri Lanka
Flower, Fruit: August - October

Tricholepis glaberrima
Family: Asteraceae
Description: Erect glabrous herb. Leaves sessile, lower leaves obovate or spathulate, upper linear-lanceolate, margin serrate. Heads ovoid, involucral bracts linear-lanceolate, suberect or slightly recurved. Florets purple. Achenes oblong, faintly –ribbed, pappus shorter than the achenes2.
Native:
Flower, Fruit: September - November

Triumfetta rhomboidea
Common name: Common Burbush
Family: Tiiliaceae
Description: A small perennial shrub. Leaves simple, alternate, heart-shaped, slightly 3-lobed. Flower small in terminal or leaf-opposed clusters. Sepals are five, long. Petals are five. Fruits are small, globose and bristly2.
Native: India, Nepal
Flower, Fruit: August- December


Wedelia trilobata
Common name: Coat Buttons
Family: Asteraceae
Description: Pernennial hairy herb. Leaves simple. Flowers tiny heterogamous heads. Fruit dark with a crown of hairs2
Native: Central America
Flower, Fruit: Throughout the year

Urena lobata
Common name: Caesarweed
Family: Malvaceae
Description: Undershrub. Leaves pubescent presence of nectaries on primary nerves. Flowers axillary or solitary or in cluster clothed with rigid hairs. Corolla pinkish with dark center. Fruit is a globose, trigonous, pubescent schizocarp. Seeds reniform, angular2.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: September- March

Ventilago madraspatana
Common name: Red Creeper
Family: Rhamnaceae
Description: Shrub with brownish branchlets. Leaf blade shiny, ovate-oblong to ovate – elliptic. Flowers in treminal or axillary panicles. Fruit drupaceous and winged2.
Native: Sri Lanka, Myanmar
Flower, Fruit: December - February

Vernonia cinerea
Common name: Ash Fleabane
Family: Asteraceae
Description: Herb. Leaves simple. Flowers are tiny in compact terminal inflorescences. Fruit are tiny achenes2.
Native: India, Nepal, Sri Lanka
Flower, Fruit: January

Vicoa indica
Common name: Golden Daisy
Family: Asteraceae
Description: Herb. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, acute, cordate-hastate, scadrid along margin. Head 1.3 – 1.5 cm across solitary on long peduncles, bracts lanceolate. Ray florest about 22, elliptic-oblong, bright yellow florest many. Achene glabrous in female, hairy in bisexual, pappus scanty2.
Native: Central and Western Peninsular India, Sri Lanka
Flower, Fruit: November - April

Vitex negundo
Common name: Common Chaste
Family: Verbenaceae
Description: Large shrub. Leaves with 3-5 leaflets, lanceolate, acute.  Upper surface of leaf is smooth and lower surface covered with silvery white soft hairs. Flowers small in stalked bunches with bluish-purple 5 lobed petals. Fruits are globose black berries2.
Native: India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
Flower, Fruit: Throughout the year

Waltheria indica
Common name: Boater Bush
Family: Sterculiaceae
Description: Herb. Leaves simple, alternate, stipulate with characteristic crenate –serrate margin. Flowers in axillary or terminal fascicles. Fruit is a capsule2.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: August - January

Wrightia tinctoria
Common name: Milky Way Tree
Family: Apocynaceae
Description: Small Deciduous tree. Leaves elliptic –lanceolate, acute or acuminate at apex, acute at base, glabrous. Flowers in axillary or terminal lax, spreading cyme. Corolla white or yellowish. Follicles cylindrical, cohering at the apex2.
Flower, Fruit: March - April

Ziziphus oenoplia
Common name: Jackal Jujube
Family: Rhamnaceae
Description: Prickly shrub with recurved prickles. Leaves ovatem 3-4 nerved with tomentum. Flowers are axillary, sessile. Petals are greenish. Fruit is a drupe, black when rip2e.
Native: India, Sri Lanka, Pantropics
Flower, Fruit: April - June

Ziziphus mauritiana
Common name: Indian Jujube
Family: Rhamnaceae
Description: Tree. Leaves are simple, elliptic-ovate, palmately nerved with stipules. Flowers are small, in axillary clusters. Fruit is an orange red berry2.
Native: India
Flower, Fruit: December - January

Zornia gibbosa
Family: Fabaceae
Description: Herb. Leaflets lanceolate, acute. Corolla yellow, standrad cordate. Prickles on the pod scabrid2.
Native: Tropics
Flower, Fruit: August - October

 

 

 

 


Reference:

  1. Flora of Bangalore District, S V Ramaswamy, B A Razi, Published by the Director, Prasaranga, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore – 570012, pp L+740
  2. Digital Flora of Karnataka http://florakarnataka.ces.iisc.ernet.in/hjcb2/
  3. Indian Biodiversity Portal http://indiabiodiversity.org/
  4. eFloras.org http://efloras.org/
  5. Flowers of India http://www.flowersofindia.net/
  6. http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/biodiversity
  7. http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy

 

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