Wild Plants of
our Campus
A
large number of native wild plants are seen in our campus. Quite a number of
them possess medicinal properties. The list of plants given below is found in two
small quadrangles inside HSB. This clearly indicates the rich biodiversity of
the campus.
§ Alysicarpus ovelifolium
§ Phylanthus maderaspatensis (similar to keezhanelli)
§ Hybanthus enneasperma (means nine seeded). Oridal thamarai in Tamil, also known as Purushratnam
§ Indigofera linneai (legume), same genus as indigofera tinctoria
§ Cyperaceae cyperusrotundus (Sedge family, all sedges have round stems)
§ Dipteracanthus prostratus (acanthaceae family, same as kanakambaram, blue flowers)
§ Justicia prostrata (acanthaceae family, smaller bluish violet flowers compared to dipteracanthus)
§ Carcorus aestunes (Punnakku keerai)
§ Boerhavia difusa (Mookarattai) (same family as 4’o’clock plant)
§ Thunbergia erecta (bushy ornamental plants)
§ Tylophora indica (creeper, spreading)
§ Merreria tridentata (Avvayar koondal) (leaves on one side, sweet potato family)
§ Brachiaria (grass family)
§ Ichnocarpus (appus favourite creeper)
§ Wattakkakka volubi (milkweed family, climber)
§ Wrightia tinctoria (palai)
§ Bauhinia (Irunatchi)
§ Lania coromandelica
§ Evolvulus numlaripholius (white flowers, silmilar to vishnukrenti, creeper on the gorund)
§
Oldenlata umbellata (dye, Pondicherry, chayaver in Tamil,
Siddha medicine)
§ Zyziphus oenoplia (soorai pazham)
§ Strebulus asper (‘Kutti pala’ in Tamil, yellow small edible
fruits)
§ Putranjiva roxbergia (used in worshipping to get male child, native of western ghats)
§ Phyllanthus reticulatus (barbets are found on these bushes, red fruits which turn dark blue are seen below the leaves)
§ Canthium dicoccum (Karai, leaves edible, used in religious fucntions (15th day after death)
§ Benkara malabarica (white flowers, red/black fruits)
§ Glycosmis moracea
§ Cissus witiginea (wild grape, relative of perandai)
§ Pachigone ovata (sirukkattu kodi, dry leaves can be powdered and dissoloved in water to get a gel)
§
Hyptus suaveolals tropical american plant introduced in
§ Theriosporum itunum (kattuchempu, small plants)
§ Desmodium triphlorum (siru pull adi in Tamil, nilapulladi in Malayalam)
§ Poonai vanangi
§ Micrococca mercurialis (similar in looks to that of poonai vanangi)
§ Hura corpitus Tropical American tree looks like pipal
§ Croton bonplandiarum (metallic green bug is seen on this plant)
§ Bignoneaceae dalicantrum (??) treenear CRC
§ Carissa
§ Bulbostylus barbeta (sedge family, radiating leaves from one central point, common in the campus)
Shrubs and Herbs
of our Campus