Crossandra infundibuliformis (L.) Nees

Orange crossandra (Crossandra infundibuliformis) is a shrub up to 2 meters tall of the Acanthaceae family, native to Bangladesh through Sri Lanka, introduced as far as Cuba and Vietnam. In India and Sri Lanka, its flowers are combined with jasmine for women's hair decoration, while the plant is also planted around temples. Orange crossandra is traditionally believed to speed up wound healing and be an aphrodisiac.

Crossandra is commonly found at the foot of hills at elevations up to 1,300 m above sea level. Grows well in full sunlight or partial shade, fertile soil with plenty of organic matter, fertile loamy soil with good drainage. This plant is sensitive to excess or waterlogged water. The temperature required for crossandra flowers ranges around 25°C.

• Stem upright, young stem solid silvery.
• Leaves ovate to lance-shaped (8-13 cm long) petiole length up to 4 cm, pinnate veins, tapering tip and base, slightly drooping and appearing in whorls of 3-4, green in color.
• Flowers salverform shaped, each flower has a thin tube (2.5 cm long) with 5 lobes (2-4 cm wide) perpendicular to the tube. Corolla bright red to orange in color, stamens 4, inserted in the middle of the corolla tube, anthers bearded. Below the flower, green leaf-like bracts are arranged like a wheat head.
• Fruit ellipsoid to oblong shaped (1 cm long) and each contains 4 seeds.
• Seeds round, 3 x 3 mm in size.

Propagated using seed and cutting method taken from the stem or branch of a good parent flowering plant. In this case the best cutting can be done in the morning with a sharp knife.

Flavonoid, glycoside, alkaloid, saponin, steroid, terpenoid, and tannin.

Treats toothache, skin disease, syphilis, fever, headache, pain, wound healing and as an aphrodisiac. Has antioxidant, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, antifungal, anticandida, and larvicidal activity.

Bunga api, Rosesandra.