''Exacum travancoricum'' is one of the rare and threatened plants of
western Ghats. It comes under family
Gentianaceae
Gentianaceae is a family of flowering plants of 103 genera and about 1600 species.
Etymology
The family takes its name from the genus '' Gentiana'', named after the Illyrian king Gentius.
Distribution
Distribution is cosmopolitan.
Characteri ...
. Moderately to much branched usually laxly cushion-like herb with elliptic, somewhat succulent leaves and usually solitary terminal pale blue to blue flowers. Endemic to Southern Western Ghats at 950-1800m (
Ponmudi
Ponmudi (the Golden Peak) also known as Kashmir of Kerala is a hill station in the Peringamala gramapanchayath of Trivandrum District of Kerala in India. It is located 22km west of Vithura town, 53 km north-east of Trivandrum City, ...
,
Agasthyamala
Agastyaarkoodam is one of the peaks in the Western Ghats of Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu, India. This peak is a part of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve which lies on the border between the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Tirunelveli ...
and
Tinnevelly hills). Flowers during July - November.
Leaves dense, fleshy, 1-1.5 x 0.6-0.8 cm, elliptic-ovate, obtuse to round at apex, attenuate at base; margins thin; midrib prominent.
[Gopalan & Henry, Endemic Pl. Agasthiyamala 198. 2000; Mohanan & Sivad., Fl. Agasthyamala 462. 2002.]
References
External links
Exacum travancoricum Bedd in KeW Science
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15555212
travancoricum