Duranta L., Sp. Pl. 637. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5. 284. 1754; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 17: 2; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 18.

Mostly armed shrubs with axillary thorns. Leaves simple, opposite-decussate or whorled, margin entire or serrate-dentate. Inflorescence terminal or axillary racemes. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, hypogynous, small, mostly blue, purple or white, bracteate, bracts small. Calyx subcampanulate, 5-ribbed, 5-toothed, persistent. Corolla zygomorphic; tube cylindrical, straight or apically curved, pubescent at mouth; limb 5-lobed, 2-lipped. Stamens 4, short, inserted above middle of corolla tube, not exserted, obscurely didynamous, anthers sagittate. Carpels 4, syncarpous; ovary 8-locular, with one ovule in each loculus, pendulous; style terminal, club-shaped, with unequally 4-lobed stigma. Fruit a fleshy drupe, usually 8-seeded, completely enclosed by persistent calyx.

29 species

Duranta erecta L., Sp. Pl. 637. 1753; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 17: 2; D. plumieri Jacq., Select. Stirp. Amer. Hist. 186. t. 176. 1763; Parker, Fl. Punj. ed. 1. 405. 1918 (Reprint 1973); D. repens L., Sp. Pl. 2. 637. 1753; Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur, 499. 2004; Singh & Sharma, Fl. Chamba Dist. 543. 2006; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 18.

An evergreen erect to subscandent shrub, 1-3 m high, more or less thorny, pubescent when young. Leaves opposite; petiole 0.5-1(-1.5) cm long, pubescent or puberulent; leaf blade 2-5 cm x 1.5-3 cm, ovate, ovate-lanceolate, elliptic, obovate or obovate-elliptic, margin entire or coarsely serrate above middle, base cuneate or attenuated, apex acute, rarely obtuse, glabrous or finely pubescent. Flowers 1.3-1.5 cm long, 8-10 mm across, light blue or bluish-white, bisexual, zygomorphic, hypogynous, scented, in many-flowered terminal and axillary lax racemes, occasionally panicles; bracts small; pedicels 1-3 mm long, finely pubescent. Calyx 4-5 mm long, tubular, appressed pubescent, teeth usually 5, very small, linear-subulate, persistent. Corolla zygomorphic, salverform, pubescent adaxially and abaxially; tube 7-8 mm long, nearly twice as long as calyx, cylindric; limb 5-lobed, spreading, 2-lipped: upper lip 2-lobed, lobes +/- oblong with a median dark-purple streak, obtuse; lower lip 3-lobed, lobes suborbicular to quadrate, middle lobe the largest with undulate margin. Stamens 4, inserted at the base of corolla tube, included, didynamous, filaments hairy. Carpels 4, syncarpous; ovary 8-locular, one ovule in each loculus; style terminal; stigma unequally 4- lobed. Fruit drupe, 6-8 mm in diameter, globose, shining, glabrous, orange or orange-yellow, enclosed in persistent accrescent calyx narrowed at apex in a beak, succulent, stones 4, 2-seeded.

Flowering and Fruiting: Almost throughout the year, but mainly during March to April
Common Names: Sky Flower, Golden Dew Drop, Pigeon Berry; Nilkanta (Hindi)

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