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Botanical Name:
Boerhaavia diffusa
Punarnava consists of dried, matured whole plant of
Boerhaavia diffusa Linn, Family Nyctaginaceae
Common Name(s) in English & Indian Languages
Sanskrit: Kahtilla, Sophaghni, Sothaghni, Varsabhu
Assamese: Ranga Punarnabha
Bengali: Rakta punarnava
English: Horse Purslene, Hog Weed
Guajarati: Dholisaturdi, Motosatodo
Hindi: Gadapurna, Lalpunarnava
Kannada: Sanadika, Kommeberu, Komma
Kashmiri: Vanjula Punarnava
Malayalam: Chuvanna Tazhutawa
Marathi: Ghetuli, Vasuchimuli, Satodimula, Punarnava,
Khaparkhuti
Oriya: Lalapuiruni, Nalipuruni
Punjabi: ltcit (Ial), Khattan
Tamil: Mukurattai (Shihappu)
Telugu: Atikamamidi, Erra galijeru
Botanical description:
Boerhaavia diffusa is up to 1 m long or more, having
spreading branches. The stem is prostrate, woody or
succulent, cylindrical, often purplish, hairy, and thickened
at its nodes. The leaves are simple, thick, fleshy, and
hairy, arranged in unequal pairs, green and glabrous above
and usually white underneath. The shape of the leaves varies
considerably ovate -oblong, round, or subcordate at the base
and smooth above. The margins of the leaves are smooth, wavy
or undulate. The upper surface of the leaves is green,
smooth and glabrous, whereas it is pinkish white and hairy
beneath. The flowers are minute, subcapitate, present 4-10
together in small bracteolate umbrellas, mainly red or rose,
but the white varieties are also known. The achene fruit is
detachable, ovate, oblong, pubescent, five-ribbed and
glandular, anthocarpous and viscid on the ribs.5 The seeds
germinate before the onset of the monsoon. The plant grows
profusely in the rainy season and mature seeds are formed in
October- November. Due to its sticky nature, the plant gets
stuck on the clothes of humans and on the legs of animals,
which helps in its dispersal from one place to another. It
has a large root system bearing rootlets. The tap root is
tuberous, cylindrical to narrowly fusiform, conical or
tapering, light yellow, brown or brownish grey. It is thick,
fleshy and very bitter in taste.
Parts used:
Whole plant
Major chemical constituent:
Alkaloids, Glycosides, Reducing sugars, Fiber
Therapeutic uses:
• Inflammation (Sotha)
• Anaemia (Pandu)
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