Medicinal Plants No 32

Alternanthera sessilis (Linn.) R.Br.ex DC. (A. triandra Lam.) Amaranthaceae (तण्डुलीय-कुलम्)

Hin

: Gudrisag (ufcum) Kan : Hõnugonesoppu (sreis) Mal : Minannāņi, Ponnannani, Ponnankannikkira

(m601306m, OnjomcoBoom), Onomosomalo) San : Matsyaksi, Patturah (Hifpereit, ") Tam: Ponnannkanņikkirai (QUITGT TITIBIS.Got cooled) Tel : Ponnagantikūra (Josy Moc 35008)

Distribution: Throughout India,in moist places upto 2,100 m, often

cultivated. The plant: A much branched prostrate herb, branches often purplish,

frequently rooting at the lower nodes; leaves simple, opposite, somewhat Meshy, lanceolate, oblanceolate or linear-oblong, obtuse or subacute, sometimes obscurely denticulate, glabrous, shortly petiolate; flowers small, white, in axillary clusters; fruits compressed

obcordate utricles, seeds suborbicular. Parts used: whole' plant Properties and uses: The plant is bitter, sweet, astringent, acrid, cooling,

constipating, depurative, digestive, cholagogue, galactagogue and febrifuge and is useful in vitiated conditions of kapha and pitta, burning sensation, diarrhoea, leprosy, skin disease, dyspepsia, haemorrhoids, agalactia, splenomegaly and fever.

पत्तूरः काण्डपुष्पश्च मत्स्याक्षो मीनलोचनः । जीमूतपत्रो विद्वद्भिर्मत्स्याक्षक उदाहृतः ॥ प्रोक्तो द्वितीयः पत्तूरः क्षेत्रजः क्षेत्रिकः क्षमः । हेमपुष्पी हेमकन्या भिषग्भिः परिपठ्यते ॥ (अ.म.) ("Pattūraḥ kānqapuşpaśca matsyākşö minalocanaḥ Jimütapatro vidvadbhimatsyākşaka udāhrtah Prokto dvitiyah pattūraḥ kṣētrajaḥ kṣētrikah kşamah Hēmapuspi hēmakanyā bhişagbhiḥ paripathyatē" (A.ma.)]मत्स्याक्षी बालिका मत्स्यगन्धा मत्स्यादनीति च । (भा.प्र.) ["Matsyaksi bahlika matsyagandha matsyadaniti ca" (Bha.pra)]

'मत्स्याक्षी ग्राहिणी शीता कुष्ठपित्तकफाम्राजित् । लघुस्तिक्ता कषाया च स्वाद्वी कटुविपाकिनी ।। (भा.प्र.) ["Matsyākst grāhiņi śītā kuşthapittakaphāşrajit Laghustikta kasayaca svadvi katuvipakini" (Bha.pra.),

पत्तूरो दीपनस्तिक्तः प्ळीहार्शःकफवातजित् । (अ.ह.सू.६) ["Patturo dipanastiktah pliharsahkaphavatajit" (A.hr.Su.6)]

बाळी तिक्ता स्वादुशीता कषाया ग्राहिण लघुः । वातळा कटुका पाके कफपित्ताम्रकुष्ठजित् ॥ (कै.नि.) ["Bāhļi tiktā svādusitā kaşāyā grāhiņi laghuḥ Vatalakatuka pāke kaphapittasrakusthajit" (Kai.ni.)]

मत्स्याक्षी ग्राहिणी शीता कुष्ठपित्तकफाअनुत् ।

" (म.पा.नि.) ["Matsyāksi grahini sita kusthapittakaphiasranut" (Ma.pa.ni.)]

"मत्स्याक्षी शिशिरा रुच्या व्रणदोषक्षयापहा । " (रा.नि.) ("Matsyākşi śiśirā rucyā vsaņadāşakşayāpahā" (Rā.ni.)]

കഷായം തിക്തമായുളളു മീനങ്ങാണിയുടെ ഗുണം കൃമിപിത്തങ്ങളെത്തീർപ്പാൻ ശക്തിയുളെളാന്നിതേറ്റവും. (ഗൂ.പാ.) ["Kaşāyam tiktamāyulļu minannāņiyuțe guņam Kmipittannalettirppan saktiyu|lonniteftavum" (Gu.pa.)]

Remarks: The Ayurvedic Formulary of India' identifies ponnariniani and

matsyākşi as two different drugs and gives them the Latin names Alternanthera triandra and A. sessilis, respectively. From this it is very clear that both are one and the same drug.

'Abhidhānamañjari' mentions a second variety of minarirani (minainanivisesam) giving hemakannya, hemapuspi etc., as its Sanskrit names. The exact plant is not known.