Osbeckia octandra

Description

Osbeckia octandra, the eight stamen osbeckia, is a plant species in the genus Osbeckia of the family Melastomataceae. It is considered to be endemic to Sri Lanka, where it is known as "Heen Bovitiya - හීන් බෝවිටියා" in Sinhala language. But some texts indicate that it is also found in Tamil Nadu of India. Fruits are dry capsules with numerous seeds. Leaves and young stems are edible, whereas leaves, stem and bark also widely used as a valuable medicine in Ayurveda for treating Diabetes mellitus, Hepatitis, Jaundice, and Hyperlipidaemia. The juice extracted from Osbeckia octandra leaves is an effective treatment for liver damage caused by Paracetamol poisoning