Morphological information

Erect, 0.3- 0.9 m high; stem stiff, not much branched; branches terete or absolutely quadrangular striate, pubescent. Leaves few, usually thick, 3.8- 6.3 by 2.5- 4.5 cm, elliptic or obovate, sometimes nearly orbicular, usually rounded at the apex, finely and softly pubescent on both sides, entire; petioles 6- 20 mm long. Flowers greenish white, numerous, stiffy deflexed against the woody- pubescent rachis, in elongate terminal spikes which are at first short but soon lengthens, reaching as much as 50 cm, long in fruit; bracts 3 mm long, broadly ovate, acuminate, membranous aristate, persistent; bracteoles 3 mm long, broadly ovate, concave with a spine as long as the blade, hard in fruit, falling off with the fruiting perianth. Perianth 4- 6mm long, glabrous and shining; sepals sub equal, ovate- oblong, finely pointed with narrow white membranous margins. Stamens 5; staminoides truncate, fimbriate utricle oblong cylindrical, truncate at the apex, thinly membranous, enclosed in the hardened perianth, smooth, brown rather more than 2.5mm long. Seed subcylindric, truncate at the apex, rounded at the base, brown.

Flowering                 :             June-December

Fruiting                    :             October-January

History                     :

Parts                        :

Status                      :              Low risk

Phytochemistry

Roots and leaves of the plant contain ecdysteron (1); seed yields saponins- A and B (2); from the shoots a new aliphatic dihydrooxyketone [3] and two new compounds- 4- methyl hepta- triacont- 1- en- 10- ol and tetracontanol- 2 have been isolated.

 

Ayurvedic

White variety   bitter, pungent; heating, laxative, stomachic, carminative, improves appetite; useful in vomiting bronchitis, "Vata", heart diseases, piles, itching, pain in the abdomen ascites, dyspepsia, dysentery, diseases of the blood. The seeds are useful in piles. Red variety  pungent; cooling, emetic, constipating, alexipharmic; useful in ulcers, "Vata" and "Kapha" scabies, abdominal troubles, dyspepsia, dysentery, removes worms from the head. The seeds have flavour, cooling, emetic, expectorant; useful in leprosy.

 

 

Others

The plant possesses valuable medicinal properties as a pungent and laxative and is useful in dropsy, piles, boils, eruption of the skin etc. The dried plant is given to children for colic and also as an astringent in gonorrhea. Water boiled with crushed plant is given in pneumonia. The infusion of the root is given as a mild astringent. The seeds and leaves are considered as emetic and are useful in hydrophobia. The flowering spike made into pills with a little sugar is a popular preventive medicine for rabies. Powdered seeds are soaked in buttermilk and given for biliousness.