Botanical profiling of gmelina Philippensis cham., Cultivated in Egypt

Abstract

Gmelina philippensis Cham. Family Lamiaceae, sometimes placed in family Verbenaceae, is one of the ornamental and medicinal plants, known as parrot's peak, as it produces yellow flowers from a long tube-shaped structure comprised of overlapping bracts. It is a sprawling thorny shrub that was formerly taxonomically classified to family Verbenaceae. It is native to Philippines, Burma and distributed in tropical and subtropical countries. The present investigation attempts to study the pharmacognostical features of the aerial parts (leaves, stems and inflorescence) of Gmelina philippensis Cham. which could be helpful in authentication of the plant and establishing pharmacognostical standard measurements which help in its identification in both entire and powdered forms.