Common Name: Spindle pod. Tamil Name: Ellukku sakkalathi
Spindly pod is a herb that grows to a height of about 1.5 feet, occasionally on forest fringe areas around Wester Ghats. The stem is round, ribbed and hairy. The plant has an unpleasant odor. The simple are arranged in an alternate manner; the leafs are sessile and gland dotted; margins are ciliate. The leaf shape is ovate, base is retuse and tip acute. The inflorescence is mostly axillary and singe; terminal inflorescence have bunched flowers. The flower stalk measure around 9 mm and is hairy. The calyx is purple in color and and measure around 5 mm. The petals are four in number and are purple is color, they are clawed. The petals measure around 8 mm each. The flower has six purple colored stamens with black tip. The fruit is in the form of a capsule. The capsule is thin and long, beaked and ribbed and measure around 8 cm. The seeds are tiny in brown color.
