Patchouli

Indian patchouli ( Pogostemon cablin )

Indian patchouli ( Pogostemon cablin ) is a perennial plant of the mint family ( Lamiaceae). She is known for the product obtained from their patchouli.

Description

It is perennial, herbaceous plants or subshrubs that grow upright and reach stature heights of 30 to 100 centimeters. The stems are hairy tomentose, which of them outgoing leaf stalks reach a length of 1 to 6 centimeters. The leaf blade is circular to broadly ovate, 2-10, 5 inches long and 1 to 8.5 centimeters wide, hairy on both sides tomentose and dark green. The edges are cut irregularly, going from the midrib to each side five side ribs from.

The aged men inflorescences are 4 to 6.5 inches long and 1.5 to 1.8 centimeters in diameter, densely pubescent tomentose. The numerous flowers are in Scheinquirlen, ie in rings at regular intervals. The flower stems are 0.5 to 2 inches long, carrying and bracts are linear-lanceolate, densely pubescent tomentose and nearly as long as the calyx. The sepals are fused tubular, have a length of 7-9 millimeters and are inside hairy finely tomentose. The purple petals are fused, about 1 centimeter long and the Corolla lobe are outside shaggy. The stamens are hairy.

Dissemination

This type of Sri Lanka, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Southern China and Malaysia is in India, is home.

Use

The Indian patchouli is like its relative, the Javanese patchouli grown to gain from the leaves by steam distillation, the patchouli oil as a raw material for the perfume industry. It is also used medicinally.

Evidence

• Flora of China, Vol 17, p. 260 Online