Plumbago zeylanica

Plumbago zeylanica, commonly known as Ceylon Leadwort or Doctorbush, is a species of plumbago with a pantropical distribution. Carl Linnaeus described the paleotropical P. zeylanica and neotropical P. scandens as separate species, but they are currently considered synonymous. Ceylon Leadwort is a herbaceous plant with glabrous stems that are climbing, prostrate, or erect.

The leaves are petiolate or sessile and have ovate, lance-elliptic, or spatulate to oblanceolate blades that measure 5-9 × 2.5-4 cm in length. Bases are attenuate while apexes are acute, acuminate, or obtuse. Inflorescences are 3-15 cm in length and have glandular, viscid rachises. Bracts are lanceolate and 3-7 × 1-2 mm long. The heterostylous flowers have white corollas 17-33 mm in diameter and tubes 12.5-28 mm in length. Capsules are 7.5-8 mm long and contain are reddish brown to dark brown seeds.

Plant extracts have shown potent mosquito larvicidal activity against the larvae of Aedes aegypti while showing no toxicity to fish . Hexane extracts of Plumbago zeylanica have showb activity against canine distemper virus.