Rotheca serrata (L.) Steane & Mabb.

Rotheca species are trees, erect or rambling shrubs, undershrubs with foetid. Branches terete, quadrangular, glabrous or pubescent. Leaves simple, decussate-opposite or whorled in 3’s, petiolate or sessile, exstipulate. Inflorescence axillary cyme, terminal thyrse or rarely corymb. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, calyx campanulate rarely tubular 5 lobed, rarely 2-4 lobed, accrescent in fruit, corolla hypocrateriform, subactinomorphic, 5 unequal lobed, stamens 4, didynamous to subequal, exserted, filaments filiform, anthers versatile, 2 loculed, ovary bicarpellary, 4 lobed, 4 loculed, style filiform, stigma shortly 2-fid, Fruit drupaceous with 4 pyrenes, seeds pyrenes, nonendospermous. Until recently many authors followed Clerodendrum serratum (L.) Moon, instead of Rotheca serrata (L.) Steane & Mabb., because of strong molecular evidence (Steane et al. 1997, 1999). The two genera also differ in their iridoid compounds.

Rotheca species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects. Flowering/Fruiting: Almost throughout the year.

Seeds dispersed by zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds and animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

A shrub about 3-8 ft tall. Bark grayish brown. Branches obtusely quadrangular, stout, densely pubescent, glabrous when mature. Leaves simple, opposite or whorled in 3’s, lanceolate, ovate-oblanceolate, 6-34 x 2-10 cm across, base cuneate, margins serrate, apex shallow acuminate or acute, chartaceous, green, slightly pubescent above and slightly paler slightly pubescent, beneath, lateral veins 5-8 on either side of the midvein, ascending, margins arcuate, veins impressed above and prominent beneath, petiole very small or sessile. Inflorescence terminal thyrses, composing of 8-12 decussate-opposite cymes, about 10-30 cm long, peduncle reddish, pubescent, about 2-3 cm long, bracts lanceolate-ovate, margins serrate, apex acute, bractlets linear lanceolate. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, pedicel reddish, about 0.3-0.5 cm long, pubescent, calyx cupular, 5 toothed, teeth shallow, mucronate tip, apex portion reddish, lower cup portion greenish, margins ciliate, pubescent, corolla hypocrateriform, 5 lobed, lobes subequal, 4 upper opposite lobes light blue, lower lobe light blue with violet tinge, lobes oblanceolate, apex truncate, corolla tube glabrous, about 1 cm long, stamens 4, didynamous to subequal, exserted, filaments filiform, light blue, about 2.5 cm long, anthers, lanceolate, bilobed, brown, ovary bicarpellary, obovoid, 4 lobed, 4 loculed, dark purple, style filiform slightly longer than stamens, stigma shortly 2-fid, Fruit drupaceous, glabrous, succulent, about 1 cm in diameter, dark purplish when ripe with 1-4 pyrenes, seeds pyrenes.

Susceptible to insect pests.

Mixed forests

Moist deciduous forests, thickets, roadsides at an altitude of about 2500-3500 ft.

Uncommon

Used as an ayurvedic medicine against intermittent fever, bronchial asthma, hiccup, worm infestations, burning sensation, diseases of head and abdomen. Roots used in rheumatism and dyspepsia. Clinically used as anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-rheumatic, anti-hypertensive, anti-cancer and anti-syphilis.