Benkara malabarica Lam.

Description:

Family: RubiaceaeDistribution: Common in scrubs. limited to Peninsular India. and Sri Lanka.Armed shrubs, 2-3mts tall, spines 0.6-1cm long in axillary pairs. Leaves 2-5x 1-3cm; elliptic obovate, base cuneate, coriaceous, clustered or decussate. Flowers 1-2cm long white fragrant in umbel like axillary cymes.Calyx lobes 5, calyx tube ovoid; corolla lobes 5, twisted to the left in the bud, afterwards spreading, corolla tube has a ring of hairs within,Stamens 5, linear, ovary 2 celled ovules many, stigma fusiform. Fruit 4-6mm across, globose red. Earlier it is known as Randia malabarica Lam, The plant is planted as a hedge plant. fruits edible. Reference: Flra of Nellore district by B.Suryanarayana &A.S Rao, ENVIS, Flora of the presidecy of Madras. by J.S Gamble