Indian leadwort

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Indian leadwort
• scarlet leadwort
• whorled plantain

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Plumbago rosea var. coccinea
• Thela coccinea
• Plumbago rosea
• Plumbagidium roseum

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. It is classified within the order Caryophyllales and the family Plumbaginaceae. Finally, its taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Plumbago.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution across several key regions in Asia. In China, it can be found specifically in the South-Central areas as well as on Hainan island. Moving toward the Indian Subcontinent, its presence is well-documented in the state of Assam. Additionally, the species is widely distributed throughout Bangladesh within the same subcontinent. Finally, its range extends further into the mountainous terrain of the East Himalaya.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Plumbago indica is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons and establish a long-term presence in its habitat. Throughout its life cycle, it maintains an evergreen nature, retaining its foliage continuously rather than shedding it seasonally. This combination of a perennial lifecycle and evergreen deciduousness enables the plant to maintain consistent photosynthetic activity and structural stability over extended periods.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Plumbago indica is characterized by a woody growth form, specifically presenting as a shrub. As a self-supporting plant, it does not function as a climber, liana, or vine, nor does it exhibit any climbing tendencies. It maintains an independent existence, functioning as an independent organism rather than a parasite. The plant is strictly terrestrial, lacking any aquatic, semiaquatic, or epiphytic habits such as holoepiphytism or hemiepiphytism. In terms of stature, it typically reaches an average plant height of approximately 1.5 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

1.5 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Plumbago indica is characterized by its metabolic processes and nutritional strategies, particularly regarding its interaction with soil nutrients. While the plant exhibits complex physiological adaptations to its environment to support its growth and the production of secondary metabolites like plumbagin, it does not possess the biological mechanisms required for symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Specifically, in terms of its nitrogen acquisition capabilities, the plant is not a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the specialized root nodules or symbiotic relationships with diazotrophic bacteria necessary to convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia. Consequently, its physiological reliance for nitrogen uptake is strictly dependent on the absorption of available nitrates and ammonium ions from the soil through its root system.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Plumbago indica has 3 reported plant parts identified across 10 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include root, leaf, stem.

Root

1. Indian journal of experimental biology
2. The British journal of radiology
3. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet thangphaet
4. Journal of ethnopharmacology
5. Journal of bioscience and bioengineering

Leaf

1. Natural product communications

Stem

1. Natural product communications

Chemicals

Plumbago indica has 8 reported phytochemicals identified across 10 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Plumbagin, Antioxidant Activity, CAT, MDA, NO.

Plumbagin

1. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
2. Journal of natural medicines
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. Indian journal of experimental biology
5. PloS one

Antioxidant Activity

1. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet thangphaet

CAT

1. Frontiers in plant science

MDA

1. Frontiers in plant science

NO

1. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet thangphaet

POD

1. Frontiers in plant science

SOD

1. Frontiers in plant science

proline

1. Frontiers in plant science

Activities

Plumbago indica has 3 reported activities identified across 10 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Anticancer, Anticoagulant, Antioxidant.

Anticancer

1. Frontiers in plant science

Anticoagulant

1. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Antioxidant

1. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Conditions

Plumbago indica has 12 reported investigations on conditions identified across 10 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include Caenorhabditis elegans, E. coli, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Salmonella, anemia.

Caenorhabditis elegans

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

E. coli

1. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet thangphaet

Mycobacterium tuberculosis

1. PloS one

Salmonella

1. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet thangphaet

Anemia

1. Acta parasitologica

Atherogenesis

1. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Cervical cancer

1. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet thangphaet

Diarrhea

1. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet thangphaet

Hemorrhoids

1. Frontiers in pharmacology

Liver cancer

1. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet thangphaet

Preparations

Plumbago indica has 14 reported preparations identified across 10 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include Cell cultures, Pikutbenjakul, Plumbagin, Plumbagin (Pl), alcoholic root extract.

Cell cultures

1. Journal of biotechnology

Pikutbenjakul

1. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet thangphaet

Plumbagin

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Plumbagin (pl)

1. The British journal of radiology

Alcoholic root extract

1. Indian journal of experimental biology

Bioreactor cultivation

1. Journal of bioscience and bioengineering

Bioreactor-culture

1. Journal of bioscience and bioengineering

Ethanolic plant extracts

1. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet thangphaet

Hairy root cultures

1. Journal of bioscience and bioengineering

Immobilized cells

1. Journal of biotechnology