Morphological information

A perennial under shrub, soft tomentose, herbaceous or somewhat woody below. Stem round, often tinged with purple. Petiole usually longer than the blade. Leaves ovate to orbicular cordata, velvety on both sides irregurarly dentate. Flowers solitary, axillary, yellow or orange-yellow. Fruits hispid, scarcely longer than calyx. Seeds 3 5, kidney shaped, dark  brown or black, tubercle or minutely stellate, hairy.

Flowering        :         August

Fruiting           :         November

History            :

Parts               :         Whole Plant

Status             :         Cultivated

Phytochemistry:     Plants contain flavinoids, gossypetin 8 and 7 glucosides; and cynidin 3 rutinoside; aerial parts contain alkanol, β sitosterol; plants also contain two sesquiterpene lactones alantolactone and isoalantolactone [2].

 

Medicinal

The whole plant is used both in Ayurvedic and Unani medicine as a febrifuge anthelmintic, anti inflammatory and in urinary and uterine discharges, piles and lumbago. The plant is an important ingredient in the preparation of ayurvedic formulations viz. Balarishta, Chavanprasha, Mahavishagarva Tail etc.

The juice of the plant is applied as an emollient to relieve soreness of the nates in young children. The bark is astringent and diuretic. And ethannolic extract of the plant shows anticancer and hypothermic activity and affect the central nervous system in mice. The leaves contain mucilage. They are cooked and eaten for bleeding piles. The leaves extract with ghee is considered as a remedy for diarrhoea. A decoction of the leaves is used as mouthwash in toothache, gonorrhea, inflammation of bladder, as a wash for wounds and ulcers for enema and vaginal infection. The flowers are eaten raw. It is also employed as an application to boils and ulcers. The powdered flowers are eaten in ghee as a remedy in blood vomiting and in cough. The root is a nervine tonic and antipyretic and is given in piles, mixed with honey, chaulmogra oil and fresh paste of sandalwood. The root is reported to be an efficacious treatment for leucoderma. An infusion of the root is considered a good cooling remedy in fevers and is also given in stangury and haematuria.

 

Traditional

The decoction is to be given for stones in bladder and also applied as a wash in eye diseases.