Mirabilis jalapa

Mirabilis jalapa

Mirabilis jalapa is the marvel of Peru or four o'clock flower. It is the most commonly grown ornamental species of Mirabilis plant. It is available in a range of colours. Mirabilis in Latin means wonderful and Jalapa is the state capital of Veracruz in México. Mirabilis jalapa was cultivated by the Aztecs for medicinal and ornamental purposes.

Uses

Dropsy.

Parts Used

Leaves, Roots.

Chemical Composition

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the methanolic extract of M. jalapa also led to the isolation of an active polyphenolic amide: N-trans-feruloyl 4′-O-methyldopamine. This compound shows moderate activity as an efflux pump inhibitor against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada	Gulamaji, Naalku ghante hoo
Hindi	गुल अब्बास Gul abbas, Gulbakshi
Malayalam	Anthimalari, Anti-mantaram, naalu mani poovu
Tamil	Pattarashu, அந்தி மந்தாரை Andhi Mandarai
Telugu	చంద్రకాంత Chandrakantha, Chandramalli
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit	Krishnakeli
English	Four O'clock, Beauty-of-the-night, Marvel of Peru

Properties

Reference: Dravya - Substance, Rasa - Taste, Guna - Qualities, Veerya - Potency, Vipaka - Post-digesion effect, Karma - Pharmacological activity, Prabhava - Therepeutics.

Habit

Herb

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
Simple	elliptical	They have numerous branches and opposite, pointed leaves 2-4 in long.

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Unisexual	trumpet shaped, two inches long	red, magenta, pink, yellow or white		sometimes with more than one color on the same plant. Like Petunia, bicolored flowers can also be grown.

Mode of Propagation

Seeds.

How to plant/cultivate

It grows preferably in light soil, rich in humus and well draining, it is neutral side acidity (pH). Pot cultivation is always possible with a mixture of 80% soil and 20% garden soil and a very deep container with the tubers being put at a depth of 10 cm. It is usually sown from mid-February to May. The seeds germinate rapidly at a temperature of 18 °C.

Commonly seen growing in areas

Garden area, Mountain area

Photo Gallery

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External Links

• Mirabilis jalapa