Basic Information
Species
:
Pratia nummulariode
(Lamk)
Local Name :
Synonym
:
Pratia begonifolia,
Lobelia nummularia
Family : Lobeliaceae
Habitat
:
A small,
trailing and rooting herb.Thrives well in moist places.
Distribution
:
Distributed to
tropical and sub-temperate region.
Sikkim
:
Ranipool to
Pakyong.
Outside : West Bengal, Khasi and Lushai hills, Peru in the Western ghats (Shembagamur), Tamil Nadu, Andhra
Pradesh, Kerala, Nepal, Bhutan.
General :
Himalaya, Meghalaya, Myanmar.Morphological information
Leaves'A- 1/2 in diameter, denticulate. Peduncle 1/2-1.5 in, distant, none from the upper axils. Calyx teeth linear. Corolla green with pink marks. Anthers 5, nearly black; 2 surmounted by 1 bristle each 3 puberculous. Berry shortly ellipsoid, finally smooth, black. Seeds compressed, ellipsoid, smooth.
Flowering
:
April-September
Fruiting
:
August-November
History
:
Parts : Root and whole plant.
Status : Low risk.
Medicinal
Roots and plants are
used for dysentery and asthma. A decoction of the plant is given
as a diaphoretic. The leaves are pounded and used for treating
sprue in Java. The juice from the herb coagulates blood and
stops excessive bleeding.
Reference
1.
Anonymous (1961). The Wealth of India (Vol. 8) Council of
Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 227-228.
2.
Anonymous (1992). The Useful Plants of India. Publications and
Information directorate, CSIR, New Delhi. 489.
3. Biswas,
K. (1956). Common Medicinal Plants of Darjeeling and the Sikkim
Himalaya. M/S Bengal Government Press, West Bengal, 65.
4. Progress
Report of the Project "Studies on Medicinal Plants of Sikkim"
(1998-2001). State Council of Science and Technology for Sikkim.