Medicinal Plant No 19

Aerva lanata (Linn.) Juss. ex Schultes Amaranthaceae (तण्डुलीय-कुलम्)

Hin : Chāyā, Gorakhgāñjā (3T4T, TRGHIFT) Kan : Bilihindisõppu (20800 Lisa Mal : Cerüla, Ceruvūla, Cerupūļa

(ചെറുള, ചെറുപൂള, ചെറുപൂള) San : Bhadrā (461) Tam : Cerupūļai (0) Tel : Pindiceſtu (30&Beve)

.

Distribution : Throughout India, in waste lands The plant : An erect or prostrate, many branched undershrub, 30 - 60 cm

in height, woolly, tomentose throughout; leaves simple, alternate, short-petioled, densely tomentose, usually smaller in the flowering branches; flowers very small, sessile, bisexual, greenish or hoarywhite, often clustered in spikes, perianth calycine membranous, five free, filaments of the five stamens connate at the base with alternating lincar staminodes; fruits greenish, roundish, compressed

utricle; seeds kidney shaped with shining black, coriaceous testa. Parts used : whole plant Properties and uses : The plant is astringent, bitter, cooling, emollient,

vermifuge, suppurative, diuretic and lithontriptic. It is useful to treat boils, cephalalgia, cough, strangury and lithiasis.

'भद्रा गोरक्षगजा च श्वेतपुष्पी च भद्रिका । (स्व.) ['Bhadrā görakşaganja ca svētapuşpi ca bhadrikā" (Sva.)]

रक्तपित्तहरी शीता भद्रा कृच्छ्रप्रमेहजित् ।" (ह.प्रि.) ['Raktapittahari šitā bhadra krcchrapramēhajit" (Hr.pri.)

'गोरक्षगजा तुवरा सतिक्ता लघ्वी च तीक्ष्णा परमुष्णवीर्या । Toffie-ataturitan प्रभावतोप्यश्मरिताशनी स्यात् ।। (द.गु.वि.) [Görakşagañjā tuvarā satiktā

laghvi ca tikşņā paramuşmavíryā Kaphapittahrnmutsavirēcaniyā prabhāvatõſpyaśmarināśani syāt" (Dra.gu.vi.)]

Remarks: Both 'Indian Medicinal Plants' and Nadkarni's Materia Medica' give

the Sanskrit name aśmabhedā to Aerva lanata. But in Kerala aśmabheda is identified as Rotula aquatica (kalluſvañci) and bhadra and bhadrikā as Aerva lanata. The practice of using this by some as one of the drugs of bịhatidvayam (Solanum indicum and S. surattense) should not be encouraged pending further investigations.