Leucas aspera

Thumbai, Dronpushpi

Message of the Flower

True Worship

The Mother’s Comment

Total and constant, without demand or claim.

Spiritual Message by the Mother/ Quotes by Sri Aurobindo

Worship is only the first step on the path of devotion. Where external worship changes into the inner adoration, real Bhakti begins; that deepens into the intensity of divine love; that love leads to the joy of closeness in our relations with the Divine; the joy of closeness passes into the bliss of union.

Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis of Yoga - II: Love and the Triple Path

The aim of Yoga being union, its beginning must always be a seeking after the Divine, a longing after some kind of touch, closeness or possession. When this comes on us, the adoration becomes always primarily an inner worship; we begin to make ourselves a temple of the Divine, our thoughts and feelings a constant prayer of aspiration and seeking, our whole life an external service and worship.

Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis of Yoga - II: The Way of Devotion

Colour

White

Family

Labiatae

Flower Size

Approximately 1 cm in length

Flower Texture

Densely woolly

Number of Petals

Five, gamopetalous

Floral Symmetry

Zygomorphic

Fragrance of Flower

Not specified

Leaf Texture

Hispid or scabrid with adpressed hairs

Leaf Arrangement

Opposite

Leaf Color

Green

Structural Variation (Shrub or Tree)

Herbaceous plant

Life Cycle

Annual

Blooming Period

Not specified

Climate

Found in tropical and subtropical regions

Water Requirements

Prefers well-drained soils; tolerant to copper and zinc in soil

Soil Type

Adapts to a range of soils, especially sandy

Temperature Ranges

Not specified

Sun or Shade

Thrives in sunny positions

Susceptibility to Insects and Diseases

No specific pests or diseases reported

Pollinators

Bees, moths, and flies

Habitat

Grassy plains, arable crops, dry sandy soils, waste places

Role in the Ecosystem

Acts as a refuge for pollinators

Quotations

Used in traditional medicine

Ornamental

Leaves used in cooking

Uses in Other Aspects of Life

Not listed as endangered

Endangered Status

Tolerates polluted soil conditions