Clerodendrum wallichii Merr.

Clerodendrum species are trees, erect or rambling shrubs, rarely herbs. Branches terete, quadrangular, glabrous or pubescent. Leaves simple, decussate-opposite or whorled in 3’s or 4’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, actinomorphic to 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 or schizocarp, seeds pyrenes, nonendospermous.

Clerodendrum 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: September-March.

Seeds dispersed by barochory i.e., gravitational dispersal, endozoochory i.e., dispersal by birds and animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

A shrub about 4-12 ft tall. Bark reddish brown. Branches and branchlets obtusely quadrangular, glabrous, nodes swollen, annulate. Leaves simple, opposite, oblanceolate, oblong-elliptic, 5-24 x 1.5-8 cm across, base cuneate or acute, margins entire or slightly lobed, apex acuminate, chartaceous, green glabrous above and slightly paler glabrous beneath, lateral veins 5-8 on either side of the midvein, veins impressed above and prominent beneath, petiole slender, canaliculated, about 0.5-2 cm long, exstipulate. Inflorescence thyrsoid, raceme cymes, terminal, elongate, drooping about 20-30 cm long, slightly pubescent, peduncle cylindric, slender, about 2-10 cm long. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, pedicel slender, slightly pubescent, about 1-2 cm long, calyx ovoid, 5 toothed, teeth subequal, deeply divided, inflated, ovate lanceolate, apex acute, green with light reddish purple tinge near the apex, slightly pubescent, corolla hypocrateriform, 5 lobed, lobes subequal, lobes oblanceolate, apex truncate, creamish white, glabrous, 1.5-2 cm long, corolla tube narrow, cylindric, slightly pubescent, about 1-2 cm long, stamens 4, didynamous to subequal, exserted, filaments filiform, creamish white, anthers, oblong, bilobed, brown, ovary bicarpellary, obovoid, 4 lobed, 4 loculed, style filiform slightly shorter than stamens, stigma shortly 2-fid, Fruit drupaceous, succulent, about 1 cm in diameter, dark purplish when ripe with 1-4 pyrenes, seeds pyrenes.

Susceptible to insect pests.

Notes: Western Ghats, Evergreen Forests

Mixed forests

Evergreen forests and cultivated.

Common

Used as an ornamental.