Songotan (Pogostemon auricularius) is a species of plant in Lamiaceae, a perennial shrub that grows upright, 30-80 cm high, simple or loose branched stems, weak, blunt 4 corners, hair spread, pink, has strong bolts and grows wild in the forest, tidal areas and roadsides.
P. auricularius has leaves oval or elliptical or ovoid, 4-6 cm long, 2-3 cm wide, cuneate base, pointed tip, serrated edges that are irregular except near the base, hairy, a bone in the middle and several veins that is pinnate. The petiole is 2-10 mm long and hairy.
The inflorescences consist of dense verticillasters, forming dense terminal spikes and 4-10 cm long. Narrow elliptical bracts and long ciliates. Subcampanulation petals, dotted outer glandular, 1.2-1.5 mm long, has 5 unequal teeth, triangles and cilia.
The petals are urn-shaped, 2.5-3.5 mm long and teeth often appear above the shoots. The crown has a size of 2-3.5 mm, a slender, protruding tube, 4 lobes, equal, blunt, pubescent and pale pink or white in color. Stamens 4 strands, subequal, filament length 3.5-4 mm, slender, upper half villi and purple.
The fruit consists of ellipsoid bean-shaped seeds, 0.6 mm long, 0.4 mm wide, smooth reticulate and brown in color. The seeds germinate epigeal, hypocotyl 1-2 mm and glandular. Triangular cotyledons, 2 mm long and blunt apex. Epicotyl hair and greenish to purplish in color.
Shoots have the first 2 leaves, ovate, 3.5 mm long, crenate edges, prominent nerves, hairy and glandular at the bottom. Songotan grows in sunny areas, bordered by ditches, dams and rice fields in grassy desert and scrub at altitudes up to 2000 m.
Songotan is used to treat simple stomach problems in children, flatulence, diarrhea, intestinal worms, mouth sores, kidney problems, sore throat, malaria, rheumatism, diuretics or antipyretics, anti-carcinogens and menstrual pain. The leaves are also used as an insecticide for stored cereals.
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Subfamily: Lamioideae
Tribe: Pogostemoneae
Genus: Pogostemon
Species: Pogostemon auricularius
P. auricularius has leaves oval or elliptical or ovoid, 4-6 cm long, 2-3 cm wide, cuneate base, pointed tip, serrated edges that are irregular except near the base, hairy, a bone in the middle and several veins that is pinnate. The petiole is 2-10 mm long and hairy.
The inflorescences consist of dense verticillasters, forming dense terminal spikes and 4-10 cm long. Narrow elliptical bracts and long ciliates. Subcampanulation petals, dotted outer glandular, 1.2-1.5 mm long, has 5 unequal teeth, triangles and cilia.
The petals are urn-shaped, 2.5-3.5 mm long and teeth often appear above the shoots. The crown has a size of 2-3.5 mm, a slender, protruding tube, 4 lobes, equal, blunt, pubescent and pale pink or white in color. Stamens 4 strands, subequal, filament length 3.5-4 mm, slender, upper half villi and purple.
The fruit consists of ellipsoid bean-shaped seeds, 0.6 mm long, 0.4 mm wide, smooth reticulate and brown in color. The seeds germinate epigeal, hypocotyl 1-2 mm and glandular. Triangular cotyledons, 2 mm long and blunt apex. Epicotyl hair and greenish to purplish in color.
Shoots have the first 2 leaves, ovate, 3.5 mm long, crenate edges, prominent nerves, hairy and glandular at the bottom. Songotan grows in sunny areas, bordered by ditches, dams and rice fields in grassy desert and scrub at altitudes up to 2000 m.
Songotan is used to treat simple stomach problems in children, flatulence, diarrhea, intestinal worms, mouth sores, kidney problems, sore throat, malaria, rheumatism, diuretics or antipyretics, anti-carcinogens and menstrual pain. The leaves are also used as an insecticide for stored cereals.
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Subfamily: Lamioideae
Tribe: Pogostemoneae
Genus: Pogostemon
Species: Pogostemon auricularius