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| lal guma |
Names of Lions ear in other language
Lion's Ear, Annual lion's ear or Christmas candlestick is called Bara guma, Robla and Lal guma in Hindi, Bhut Bhairab, Dare Dhompo, Hejurcheri in Bengali, Deepmal in Marathi , Hanumantabira, Magabura, Mulagolimedi, Rana Chettu in Telugu, Goa Gadde, Kaaduthumbe, Devvadumbe, Ranabheri, Deepa Shoole in Kannada, Ranaperi in tamil, Granthi, Granthika, Granthila, Gramyakunkuma, Grihadvaraparshve, Grishti, Granthiparna, Granthiparni in Sanskrit. In my mother tongue Odia, we call it Barchha which means spear. The shape of the plant tells us about its name why it is so. But the English term i.e. Lion’s ear is also given because the small orange petals look like tiny ears.
Its Botanical name is Leonotis nepetifolia.
It is a native of tropical Africa but is now naturalized worldwide. We can find this plant now anywhere in India.
Lion's Ear is a tall, erect and slim plant which can grow up to 7 to 8 ft tall. The stems are smooth but have coarsely ragged margins, triangular in shape and around 2-5 in length. The flowers are commonly orange. The leaves are serrated and can grow up to 4 inches in breadth. As the stems extend, new flowers continue to bloom above the older petals. The flowering time is November and December. You can propagate it from seeds.
The plant has mild psychoactive, narcotic properties. The flowers have potent medicinal properties and is used as a calming tea. It has also anti-asthmatic, anti-diarrhea properties and is a tonic for heart; which assuages palpitations, irregular heartbeats, tachycardia and it is many times used for heart disorders arising out of anxiety and stress. These plants are used to regulate menstruation.
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| Rana Chettu |
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| Mulagolimedi |
