Pharmacognostical Study and Preliminary Phytochemical Screening of the Leaf of Ixora johnsonii Hook.f. - A Rare, Endemic, Critically Endangered Species of Southern Western Ghats of Kerala, India

Ixora johnsonii Hook.f. (Rubiaceae) is a critically endangered, pretty weed found in Western Ghats of South India. Roots of this plant are used by the tribes for curing wounds and sores. The present study highlights the macroscopic and microscopic features of leaf of I. johnsonii along with the physico – chemical and preliminary phytochemical analyses. Physical constants like ash values and extractive values were also studied. The leaf contains many bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, tannins, saponins and alkaloids. The data obtained in the present study will help in the botanical identification and standardization of the drug in the crude form and also to distinguish the drug from its adulterants.