Isodon ternifolius (D.Don) Kudô

Suddee, S., A. J. Paton, & Parnell, J. (2004). A Taxonomic Revision of Tribe Ocimeae Dumort. (Lamiaceae) in Continental South East Asia I. Introduction, Hyptidinae & Hanceolinae. Kew Bulletin, 59(3), 337-378. doi:10.2307/4110949

Type

Nepal, Narainhetty, Buch.-Ham. s.n. (holotype BM!).

Morphology General Habit

Erect undershrub or shrub up to 4 m tall

Morphology Stem

Stems woody at base, branched or not, hollow, round-quadrangular with several longitudinal shallow grooves, villous- tomentose

Morphology Leaves

Leaves sessile or shortly petiolate, in whorls of 3 - 4 or opposite and whorled on the same plant, chartaceous or coriaceous, lanceolate, ovate- lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, 20 - 140 x 12 - 40 mm, apex acute, margin serrate, base cuneate, rugose and pilose above, villous-tomentose beneath, veins prominent beneath; petioles 0 to 5 mm long, tomentose

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence terminal and axillary, composed of several dense villous-tomentose spike- like branches, forming a panicle; cymes dense, many- flowered, flowers always lying adjacent to axis of cyme; bracts ovate to narrowly so, adaxially rugose or pilose, abaxially tomentose; bracteoles linear or linear- lanceolate, 1 - 2 mm long, pubescent, caducous or persistent; pedicels 1 - 3 mm long at anthesis, 2 - 4 mm long in fruit, pubescent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx campanulate, c. 2 mm at anthesis, densely whitish-villous, tubular, 3- 5 mm long in fruit, inconspicuously 2-lipped; teeth minute, subequal, ovate-triangular, acute at apex; tube straight, 10-nerved, often grooved between longitudinal nerves, pubescent to villous, with sessile glands outside, not gibbous at anterior base

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla white with purple dots on upper lip, declinate, 6- 7 mm long; posterior lip subequally 4-lobed, lobes rounded or obtuse at apex, densely villous, with sessile glands on back; anterior lip ovate-orbicular, 3 - 4 mm long, longer than posterior, concave, glabrous inside, glabrous at margin outside otherwise villous with sessile glands; tube 2 - 2.5 mm long, tubular, abruptly expanded above the narrow base and conspicuously gibbous on posterior side, pubescent on anterior side inside, pubescent, with or without sessile glands outside

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens included in anterior corolla lip; anterior pair inserted around the base of anterior corolla lip, pubescent at base; posterior pair inserted near the base of corolla tube, pubescent at base

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style not or occasionally exceeding anterior corolla lip

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc

Disc with anterior side slightly developed, not exceeding ovary, the rest annular

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Nutlets brown, triangular- oblong, 2 - 2.5 mm long, smooth, conspicuously trigonous on upper half, acute at apex, producing mucilage when wet.

Ecology

Open places in hill evergreen forest, dipterocarp-oak forest, deciduous forest, edges of evergreen forest; 400 - 2200 m.

Phenology

Flowering October - February, fruiting December - April.

Distribution

India, Nepal, Bhutan, South China, Burma, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

Vernacular

Burmese: Myatnaw (Shan), Hwa Lam Lau. Thai: Bo Sou Hao Vo (Chiang Mai), Se' Ma' (Chiang Rai). Vietnamese: Cay trong Tua.

Use

In Thailand this species is used for decoction and ablutions. Water from the boiled rootstock is drunk as a cure for jaundice. In Burma the roots are used against itching.