Ixora coccinea (also known as jungle geranium, flame of the woods or jungle flame or pendkuli) is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae.
Description
Ixora coccinea is a dense, multi-branched
evergreen shrub, commonly in height, but capable of reaching up to high. It has a rounded form, with a spread that may exceed its height. The
glossy, leathery,
rectangle leaves are about long, with entire margins, and are carried in opposite pairs or whorled on the
Plant stem. Small tubular, scarlet flowers in dense rounded clusters across are produced almost all year long.
Cultivation and use
Although there are around 500
species in the genus
Ixora, only a handful are commonly cultivated, and the common name, Ixora, is usually used for
I. coccinea.
I. coccinea is used in
Temperature climates for hedges and screens, foundation plantings, massed in flowering beds, or grown as a specimen shrub or small tree. In cooler climate, it is grown in a
greenhouse or as a potted house plant requiring bright light.
I. coccinea is also grown in containers, looking very distinguished as a patio or poolside plant. This tight, compact shrub is much branched and tolerates hard pruning, making it ideal for formal hedges, although it is at its best when not sheared.
]]There are numerous named differing in flower colour (yellow, pink, orange) and plant size. Several popular cultivars are dwarfs, usually staying under in height. Nora Grant is a popular dwarf and Super King is a popular hybrid with much larger flower clusters. Many new cultivars and hybrids of I. coccinea have come to market in the last couple of decades, leading to a resurgence in popularity for the beautiful flame-of-the-woods.
The flowers, leaves, roots, and the stem are used to treat various ailments in the Indian traditional system of medicine, the Ayurveda, and in various folk medicines, in traditional Indian medicine the fusion of juice leaves and the fruit of Ixora coccinea is used to care for dysentery, ulcers and gonorrhea.
Chemical constituents
Phytochemical studies indicate that the plant contains the phytochemicals
lupeol,
ursolic acid,
oleanolic acid,
sitosterol,
rutin,
lecocyanadin,
,
, and
of
kaempferol and
quercetin.
[Baliga MS, Kurian PJ "Ixora coccinea Linn.: traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology", Chin J Integr Med. 2012 Jan;18(1):72-9]
Taxonomy
Ixora coccinea was first described in 1753 by
Carl Linnaeus in his
Species Plantarum 1: 110.
[ Ixora coccinea en Trópicos]
Ixora cultivars
File:Pentas Star Flower.JPG
File:IxoraCoccineaMiami.JPG
File:20180526-161007flower.jpg
File:Ixora coccinea in an urban ornamental garden 2 (cropped).jpg
File:IXORA_IN_PARTIAL_BLOOM.JPG
File:Colpfl16a.jpg
File:Thechi rose.jpg
File:Chethi.JPG
File:Ixora coccinea red.JPG
File:Ixora coccinea- jungle geranium.JPG
File:Ixora coccinea White.JPG
File:Chethi poo in Thiruvananthapuram, India.JPG
File:West Indian Jasmine -- Ixora.jpg
File:Ixora coccinea 3.JPG
File:Ixora coccinea (pink).jpg
External links
