''Abutilon indicum'' (Indian abutilon, Indian mallow) is a small shrub in the family

Malvaceae Malvaceae (), or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include Theobroma cacao, cacao, Cola (plant), cola, cotton, okra, Hibiscus sabdariffa, ...

, native to tropical and subtropical regions. This plant is a valuable

medicinal Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

and

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

, its roots and leaves being used for curing fevers. It has been widely introduced outside of its native range, and is considered invasive on certain tropical islands.

Distribution

The species occurs in a number of tropical and subtropical zones. An example occurrence is within parts of the

Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over over an area of approximately . The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, ...

islands of the

Coral Sea The Coral Sea () is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific off the northeast coast of Australia, and classified as an Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia, interim Australian bioregion. The Coral Sea extends down t ...

. It's also found in tropical zones in the Indian subcontinent, such as parts of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

Traditional medicine

In traditional medicine, ''A. indicum'' various parts of the plant are used as a demulcent, aphrodisiac, laxative, diuretic, sedative, astringent, expectorant, tonic, anti-convulsant, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, and analgesic and to treat leprosy, ulcers, headaches, gonorrhea, and bladder infection. The whole plant is uprooted, dried and is powdered. In ancient days, maidens were made to consume a spoonful of this powder with a spoonful of honey, once in a day, for 6 months until the day of marriage, for a safe and quick pregnancy. The plant is commonly used in Siddha medicines. The root, bark, flowers, leaves and seeds are all used for medicinal purposes by Tamils. The leaves are used as adjunct to medicines used for pile complaints. The flowers are used to increase semen in men. ABUTILON INDICUM

Chemistry

β-Sitosterol is present in ''A. indicum'' and a petroleum ether extract has larvicidal properties against the mosquito larvae ''

Culex quinquefasciatus ''Culex quinquefasciatus'' (originally named ''Culex fatigans''), commonly known as the southern house mosquito, is a medium-sized mosquito found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It is a vector of ''Wuchereria bancrofti'', avian ...

''. A methanol extract of ''A. indicum'' has some antimicrobial properties.

References

External links

''Abutilon indicum, Indian Mallow Sinhalese Name:Beheth Anoda''
Indian Mallow, Abutilon

photo
Abutilon indicum (Linn.) Sweet
Medicinal Plant Images Database (School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University) {{Taxonbar, from=Q2901598 indicum Flora of Palestine (region) Flora of Pakistan Flora of Syria Flora of Maharashtra Plants described in 1756