''Pogostemon purpurascens'' is a small

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

found in the Western Ghats in

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...

. It is in the mint family,

Lamiaceae The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory ...

Description

''Pogostemon purpurascens'' is an erect branched herb with a 20 cm tall, hairy stem. The leaves are elliptic, opposite with serrated margins. It bears tiny whitish flowers which blooms during the months of January and February.

Uses

It is used as an anti-haemorrhagic (sometimes as a

styptic An antihemorrhagic (antihæmorrhagic) agent is a substance that promotes hemostasis (stops bleeding). It may also be known as a hemostatic (also spelled haemostatic) agent. Antihemorrhagic agents used in medicine have various mechanisms of action: ...

) and antidote to stimulate scorpion stings and snake bites. It is also used to clean wounds. In

Manipur Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanm ...

, leaves and flowers are used in the preparation of a local hair-care lotion.

References

* KIRTIKAR, K.R., BASU, B.D and AN, I.C.S; 1975; Indian Medicinal Plants; MIS PERIODICAL EXPERTS {{Taxonbar, from=Q15353683 purpurascens Plants described in 1850 Endemic flora of the Western Ghats Taxa named by Nicol Alexander Dalzell