Scientific Name
Boerhavia procumbens Banks ex Roxb.
Synonyms
Family
Nyctaginaceae
Local Name
Kathra, Itsit
Habit Habitat
A prostrate, slender, glabrous spreading herb, common in sub-tropical zone.
Taxonomic Features
Stem and branches reddish. Leaves simple, ovate to oblong, margin wavy, whitish on undersurface. Inflorescence in axillary panicles. Flower pinkish-mauve, 3mm long. Fruit club like, 5-ribbed, glandular and papillose.
Flowering Fruiting
June-October
Harvesting Time
August-November
Medicinal Value
Useful in edema and liver disorders. It has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, cardio tonic, laxative, diuretic, analgesic and expectorant properties. Locally decoction of root is used in anuria (urine retention).
Parts Used
Root
Future Prospective
Collection, Drying, Packing, Herbal Pharmacy, Allopathic Pharmacy.
Plant Images
Boerhavia procumbens Banks ex Roxb.