Distribution and Habitat: A native of China. It is grown as an ornamental plant in gardens throughout India and often planted as a hedge or fence plant.

Botany:   Ever green, nearly glabrous shrub, 3-4 m tall with pale grey or whitish bark. 

• Leaves:  Simple, ovate, 6-10 x 3.5-7 cm, irregularly serrate dentate, shining green above. Stipules lanceolate –subulate.
• Flowers:  10-15 cm across, axillary, solitary. Pedicels 5-10 cm long or even longer, jointed above the middle. Bracteoles 5-7, linear- lanceolate, 1-1.5 cm long. Calyx long, divided almost to the middle. Petals red, oblanceolate, 5-10 cm long, entire or dentate at apex. Staminal tube exserted far beyond the petals.

Properties: Demulcent, febrifuge, emollient

Chemical constituents: 8-nonynoic,9- decynoic acids,taraxeryl acetate,β-sitosterol,sterculic and malvalic acids, quercetin and its glucosides, thiamine, riboflavin , niacin, ascorbic acid, carotene, kaempferol derivatives and fatty acid methyl esters. 

Uses: It is used in cough, venereal diseases, menorrhagia, pruritus, fever, burning sensation, and fatigue, expulsion of the placenta, constipation, abscesses, inflammations, epilepsy, cerebropathy, cardiac debility and seminal weakness.                                                    

Agrotechnology

Soil: Well drained porous loamy soil. 

Propagation: Cuttings, layering, budding, grafting and air layering.