Thunbergia fragrans, the whitelady[2] is a perennial climbing twiner in the family Acanthaceae, native to South and Southeast Asia and China.
Thunbergia fragrans | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Lamiales |
Family: | Acanthaceae |
Genus: | Thunbergia |
Species: | T. fragrans
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Binomial name | |
Thunbergia fragrans | |
Synonyms[1] | |
List
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It is native to South and Southeast Asia and China. The species is also widely introduced in other tropical and subtropical areas including Florida[3] Hawaii,[4] Australia,[5] New Caledonia, French Polynesia,[6] Caribbean[7] and Indian Ocean islands,[8] southern Africa and Central America.[9] In many places it is considered as an invasive species.
In Indian Siddha medicine, the species is known as indrapushapa and a paste made out of tender twigs of the is used to combat fever and sometimes applied on cuts and wounds. The leaves are used as a poultice in skin diseases, their juice can also be applied on the head to cure headaches.[10]