Monday, February 23, 2009

Hygrophila auriculataEnglish Name (K.Schum) Heine


English Name : Hydrophilia

Family : Acanthaceae

Description
A stout herb up to 1.5 m high, more or less hispid with long hairs; stems numerous, erect, usually unbranched, subquadrangular, thickened at the nodes. Leaves in whorls of 6, the outer 2 the larges, oblong-lanceolate or oblanceolate, up to 18 cm long and 3.2 cm wide, with sharp, yellow, axillary spines; the two outer leaves of each whorl larger and others much smaller. Flowers bluish-purple, in sessle axillary whorls. Fruits (capsules) 0.8 cm long, linear-oblong, pointed, containing 4 to 8 orbicular seeds.

Habitat
Along roads and in moist fields in India

Parts Used : Seed, plant and its aerial part

Herb Effects
Lowers blood pressure and alleviates spasms (50% EtOH plant extract); aphrodisiac (seed), hypnotic.

Active Ingredients
Itigmasterol, lupeol and hydrocarbons (plant); sterols and an alkaloid (aerial part); betulin (root)

Medicinal Use
As an aphrodisiac and a tonic (seed); in cancer and tubercular fistula (plant); in urogenital disorders (such as spermatorrhea) and impotence, as a uterine sedative for pregnant women and for treating diseases of the blood and biliousness, to treat rheumatism, gonorrhoea, jaundice, anasarca, diarrhoea, dysentery, thirst, urinary calculi and urinary discharges, inflammations, biliousness, diseases of the eyes, pains, high blood pressure, ascites and abdominal troubles, anaemia, constipation and anuria.

Dosage
Decoction: two ounces of the root with three pints of water boiled to a pint, is given in doses of one-half to two fluid-ounces (15-60 mils).

Reference

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