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Botanical Name:
Luffa echinata Roxb.
Devdangri consists of dried fruits of Luffa echinata Roxb,
Family Cucurbitaceae
Common Name(s) in English & Indian Languages
Sanskrit: Akhuvishaka, Bandala, Chaturangaka, Dali,
Deodalika, Deotada, Devadali, Devatadaka
Bengali: Deyatada
English: Bitter Sponge Gourd
Hindi: Bidali, Bindaal, Dutar Toru, Duttar-Toru,
Ghagara-Bela, Ghagarabela
Kannada: Daevadaali, Daevadangari, Devadangar
Marathi:, Devadali, Devadangari, Kukadvel
Tamil: Kocaratacitta, Kukaitali, Navalokakkalimpupokki
Telugu: Paanibira, Panibira
Urdu: Bindaal
Botanical description:
Luffa echinata Roxb. is a slender climber with bifid bristly
or smooth tendrils. Stem is sulcate, slightly hairy to
smooth. Leaves are kidney-shaped, round, shallowly or deeply
5-lobed. Tip is rounded or rarely pointed. Leaves are
bristly on both surfaces, margin is minutely toothed. Leaf
stalk is stout, bristly, up to 12 cm long. Flowers are
white, stalked, about 2.5 cm across. Male flowers are borne
in 5-12-flowered, up to 15 cm long raceme. Sepal tube is
about 5.6 mm long, hairy, sepals lance-shaped. Petals are
ovate, 1-1.2 cm long, blunt, hairy at the base. Stamens are
3, with filaments united, 3-9 mm long. Ovary is ovoid. Fruit
is ashy, oblong, ovoid, 2-5 cm long, densely covered with
4-7 mm long bristles. Seeds are ovate, black 4-5 mm long,
3-5 mm broad and 2 mm thick. The fruit is intensely bitter
and used medicinally.
Parts used:
Fruits
Major chemical constituents:
Flavonoids and glycoside compounds
Therapeutic uses:
• Hepato-splenic affections (Pilahayakritroga)
• Skin diseases (Kushta)
• Inflammation (Sotha)
• Intestinal colic (Antrasula)
• Sinusitis (Suryavarta)
• Hemorroids (Arsa)
• Odema (Svayathu)
• Cough (Kasa)
• Urinary disorders (Prameha) |
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