Summary[
edit] Description: Common name: Mussaenda, Bedina (Hindi), Hanu-rei (Manipuri), Vellaiyilai வெள்ளையிலை (Tamil), Sada patta (Bengali) , Mithai Phool मिठाइ फुल (Konkani) Botanical name:
Mussaenda erythrophylla - [ (mew-say-EN-duh) latinized form of Sinhalese vernacular name mussenda; (er-ith-roh-FIL-uh) meaning red-leaved ] Family:
Rubiaceae (madder, bedstraw, or coffee family) Origin: Tropical Africa, Asia, Pacific Islands The mussaenda is a shrub related to coffee trees and native to Asia, such as Thailand, the West Indies and parts of tropical West Africa, such as Zaire. Mussaenda may be a rather small shrub, or large to 30 feet, like a small tree. Commercial nurseries often train mussaenda to be tree-like in form for landscape use. Their natural habit is to produce many stems and it is quite a rambler. It has silky, hairy, soft medium-green leaves. Said to be evergreen, but unless planted in very warm zone 10 or higher, mussaenda loses most or all leaves with cooler/cold weather until spring. Plant mussaenda in full sun for best show of color. Courtesy: -
Flowers of India -
Top Tropicals -
Tropical Plants Library Online Note: Identification attempted; may not be accurate. Date: 7 January 2007, 14:43. Source:
Mussaenda. Author:
Dinesh Valke from Thane, India. Camera location
19° 15′ 27.42″ N, 72° 58′ 22.16″ E View all coordinates using:
OpenStreetMap 19.257617; 72.972822.