Scoparia dulcis

Scoparia dulcis L.                               

Family     :   Scrophulariaceae

Common Name :കല്ലുരുക്കി(Mal)

                                Sweet Broom Weed (Eng)

  मीठी पत्ती(Hin)                       

Sweet Broom Weed is a branched herb with wiry stems, growing up to 1 m tall. Small white, hairy flowers occur in leaf axils. The stamens are greenish and the ovary is green. Flower-stalk is 5-10 mm, hairless. Calyx is lobed to the base; sepals 4, ovate-oblong, about 2 mm, margin fringed with hairs, tip blunt. Flowers are white, about 4 mm across. Tube is densely hairy at throat, petals 2-3 mm, obovate roundish, upper petal slightly larger than others. Stamens protruding. Style erect. Narrowly elliptic, almost stalkless leaves are arranged oppositely or in whorls of 3. Leaves are 3-4 X 1-1.5 cm wide, with serrated margins. The capsule is nearly round.

Erect annual or perennial herbs. Leaves simple, decussate to whorled, 1-3 x 0.5-1.5 cm, obovate-oblong, apex acute, base attenuate, margin crenate-serrate, penni-nerved, punctate, chartaceous; petiole to 0.7 cm long. Flowers axillary, solitary or 2; pedicels slender 4-7 mm long. Calyx lobes 2-3 mm, ovate-oblong, ciliate along margin. Corolla white 4-6 mm long, rotate, throat densely hairy, lobes spathulate. Stamens 4, subequal, 3-4 mm long. Ovary globose, 2-celled; ovules many; stigma truncate. Capsules 1-2 mm across, globose; seeds many, 4-angled, reticulate.