Common Name: Ceylon Hydrolea. Tamil Name: Vellel.
Celylon hydrolea is an annual seen in marshy and swamp areas. The plant grows to a height of about 1.5 feet, sometimes the branches are seen prostrate. The plant is mostly glabrous and leafs are pale green in color. The simple sessile leaves are arranged in an alternate manner. The leaf measure around 2.7 cm in lenght; they are elliptic-lanceolate in shape; the leaf apex and base are acute. The inflorescence is in the form of an axillary raceme; the flowers are bright blue in color with five petals. The calyx is green in color and star shaped and hariy; the calyx teeth are longer than the petals. The fruit is in the form of a capsule. This plant was encountered in Palakkad district of Kerala in the month of December 2023.
