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This short slightly woody plant has dark green leaves and tall
sprays of flowers with long,
projecting stamens.
The most commonly seen form has white flowers but there is another
form in wich the
flowers are pale lilac or pale purple.
These plants may be grown in a pot or in a mixed border.
After flowering,the old inflorescences should be removed and when
new shoots develop
they will produce another crop of flowers.
Young plants need a little pruning to encourage bushy
growth.Propagation is by means of cuttings.
Medical use: Java Tea. This drug occurs in commerce in the form of
small, oval, finely toothed, green leaves, rolled up like tea. Van
Itallie has discovered in it a volatile oil and a crystalline
glucoside, orthosiphonin, and potassium salts.It is said to be a
powerful diuretic, and is highly recommended in nephritic colic,
gravel, uric acid diathesis, and even ascites. |
