IDENTIFICATION OF SOKA FLOWER (Ixora coccinea L.)

SOKA FLOWER (Ixora coccinea L.)

Ixora is a genus of flowering plants in the Rubiaceae family. It consists of tropical evergreen trees and shrubs and holds around 500 species with its centre of diversity in Tropical Asia i.e. Malaysia. It also grows commonly in subtropical climates in the United States, such as Florida. Members of Ixora prefer acidic soil, and are suitable choices for bonsai (Dontha et al., 2015).

Morphological Character

Habitus: Shrub, 1-4 m high. Trunk: Upright, woody, rounded, simpodial branching, dirty white. Leaves: Single; alternately facing; oval; tapered base; flat edge; pointed tip; pinnate reinforcement; 3-7 cm long; 3-5 cm wide;  green. Flowers; Compound; androgynous; funnel-shaped petals; four stamens; 0.5 cm long; anthers attached to the crown; red. Fruit: Buni; oval, red. Seeds; Flat; oval; white. Root: Riding; brown.

Classification

Kingdom :       Plantae

Division   :      Tracheophyta

Class        :      Magnoliopsida

Order        :      Gentianales

Family      :      Rubiaceae 

Genus       :      Ixora L.

Species     :      Ixora coccinea L.

Reference :

      Dontha, S., Kamurthy, H., & Mantripragada, B., 2015. Phytochemical and pharmacological    profile of Ixora: A review. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, 7, pp.567-584.