Kleinhovia hospita Linn., Sp. Pl. ed. 2. 1365. 1763. Dalz. & Gibs.,Bomb. Fl. 23.1861; Masters in Hook.f.,l.c.; Talbot, For.Fl.Bomb.Pres. & Sind 1:145.1911; Blatter and Millard, Beaut.Ind. Tr. ed. 4. 95.1954; Cooke, Fl.Bomb.Pres.(Reprint ed.) 1:135.1958; S. Abedin in Pak.J.Bot. 6(1): 38.1974.
A medium sized tree. Leaves 5-10 cm long, 4-9 cm broad, entire, acute or obtuse, glabrous on both sides; stipules ensiform or linear, c. 8 mm long; petiole 2-6 cm long. Flowers 4-7 mm across; pedicel 2-5 mm long; bracteoles lanceolate, 2-4 mm long, pubescent. Sepals linear-lanceolate, 6-8 mm long, c. 2 mm broad, pink, tomentose. Petals 4-6 cm long, c. 2 mm broad, upper one saccate, ovate-oblong, middle pair concave-ovate, clawed, incurved, lower pair oblique-oblong, flat, yellow. Stamens exserted, 8-10 mm long. Ovary ovoid, c. 1.5 mm long, tomentose, on a 6-8 mm long gynophore. Capsule turbinate, up to 2.5 cm across, pink, drooping. Seeds whitish.
Fl.Per.: October-December.
Type: "Habitat in Ind. Orientali".
Distribution: Tropical Asia from the Mascarene Islands to Polynesia and east tropical Africa. Cultivated in Pakistan and India.
The shoots and young leaves are said to be edible and the extract from leaves is used to cure skin diseases.
