Belalai Gajah

Description

Clinacanthus nutans is a species of plant in Acanthaceae family. It is also known by the common names belalai gajah (Malay), phaya yo (Thai), Sabah snake grass, ki tajam (Sunda), and dandang gendis (Jawa). This plant is used in the traditional herbal medicines of Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and China. It has been used in Indonesia in the treatment of dysentery and diabetes. C. nutans is a herbaceous plant that grows in low shrubs up to 2.5 meters high. Its stems are green, woody, upright and cylindrical. Its leaves are green, simple, lanceolate with pointed tips and rounded bases, and are 8–12 mm long and 4–6 cm wide. Its flowers are red and panicle-shaped, with tube-shaped elongated petals 3.5 cm long