Description

Hill glory bower, known as bhat or is a perennial shrub belonging to the family Lamiaceae, also sometimes classified under Verbenaceae. It is the type species among ~150 species of Clerodendrum. It is one of the most well-known natural health remedies in traditional practices and siddha medicine. The species is native to tropical regions of Asia including Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia, the Andaman Islands, and Sri Lanka.

Characteristics:

Hill glory bower is a gregarious shrub, 1-2 m high. The quadrangular branches are covered with sily yellwish hair. Oppositely arranged leaves are oval, 10-20 cm long, hairy. The base of the leaf is heart-shaped. White flowers, tinged with pink, occur in large panicles. The five white petals are tinged pink at the base. Four long stamens, 3 cm, protrude out of the flower. Flowering: March-April.

Medicinal Uses:

Extract of the leaves is given orally in fever and bowel troubles in the Kuki and Rongmei tribes in the North-East India. Fresh leaf-juice is introduced in the rectum for removal of ascarids. Leaves and flowers are used to cure scorpion sting.