Clerodendrum hastatum (Roxb.) Lindl.

Clerodendrum species are trees, erect or rambling shrubs, rarely herbs. Branches terete, quadrangular, glabrous or pubescent. Leaves simple, decussate-opposite or whorled in 3’s or 4’s, petiolate or sessile, exstipulate. Inflorescence axillary cyme, terminal thyrse or rarely corymb. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, calyx campanulate rarely tubular 5 lobed, rarely 2-4 lobed, accrescent in fruit, corolla hypocrateriform, actinomorphic to subactinomorphic, 5 unequal lobed, stamens 4, didynamous to subequal, exserted, filaments filiform, anthers versatile, 2 loculed, ovary bicarpellary, 4 lobed, 4 loculed, style filiform, stigma shortly 2-fid, Fruit drupaceous with 4 pyrenes or schizocarp, seeds pyrenes, nonendospermous.

Clerodendrum species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects. Flowering/Fruiting: October-July.

Seeds dispersed by barochory i.e., gravitational dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds and animals.

Shrub about 4-15 ft tall. Stem and branches lenticellate, branchlets slender, obtusely quadrangular, pubescent. Leaves opposite, ternate or often in unequal pairs, hastate, ovate-oblong, lobed or angled, 6-30 x 3-21 cm across, base hastate or narrow triangular shape like that of a spearhead, margin entire, apex acuminate or acute, membranous, scaberulous dark green above, paler beneath, lateral veins 4-8 on either side of the midrib, basally tri-veined, ascending, margin arcuate, petiole canaliculated, slender, pubescent, about 8-16 cm long, exstipulate. Inflorescence corymbose terminal panicles about 12-20 cm wide, pubescent, peduncle densely pubescent, about 2-5 cm long, bracts linear-elliptic, pubescent, bractlets linear. Flowers bisexual, fragrant, pedicel slender about 1-2 cm long, calyx campanulate 5 toothed, teeth lanceolate, apex acute, dull greenish light purple, divided nearly the base, about 2.5 cm long, corolla hypocrateriform, 5 lobed, creamish white, lobes ovate-oblong, reflexed, pubescent, corolla tube slender, filiform, recurved, densely pubescent outside, about 15 cm long, stamen 4, didynamous, much exserted, filaments filiform 4-5 cm long, enclosed half white, exposed half reddish purple, ovary oblong, style filiform, purple, almost the same length as the stamens, stigma bi-lobed. Fruit subglobose, about 1.5 cm in diameter, succulent, shining, purplish black when ripe, on a much accrescent red calyx.

Susceptible to insect pests and fungal infections.

Forested areas

Forests along streams at an altitude up to 3000 ft.

Rare

Used in traditional medicine.