Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Martynia annua L.

English Name : Devil's Claw

Family : Martyniaceae

Origin : Mexico and Central America

Description
A herbaceous, erect, branched, glandular hairy annual, 0.3 to 2 m high. Leaves opposite, broadly ovate to deltoid; base cordate, apex acute, margins repand-dentate; petioles 7 to 18 cm long. Flowers large, foxglove-shaped, pink and dark purple blotched with yellow inside, borne in 10 to 20 flowered racemes 4 to 10 cm long. Fruit hard, woody, with 2 sharp recurved hooks; seeds oblong.

Habitat
Wastelands and along roads in India.

Parts Used : Flower, leaf, seed and plant

Herb Effects
Antiseptic (leaf); stimulates the cardiovascular system and respiration and has effect on a nictating membrane (seed).

Active Ingredients
Apigenin, luteolin, cyanidin and pelargonidin-3-5-diglucoside (flower).

Medicinal Use
Scorpion sting (plant); and in epilepsy, and applied to tuberculous glands of the neck (leaf); for sore throat (juice); in inflammations (fruit); to the bites of venomous insects (Nut paste); on wounds (leaf paste); in itching and abscess (seed oil)

Reference

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