Family: Acanthaceae

Synonym:Cryphiacanthus barbadensis Nees

Bengali/Vernacular name: Alughanti, Chotpoty.  

Tribal name: Chrasak (Khasia).

English name: Spear pod.

Description of the plant: An annual or perennial, low-growing herb with tuberous roots, erect, 20-60 cm tall. Leaves opposite, elliptic, short petioled, abruptly narrowed at the base, with undulate margins and up to 12 cm long.Flowers showy, with funnel-shaped, 5-lobed corolla, up to 5 cm across, and mauve or light bluish purple. Fruit a pod with 7 to 8 seeds, bursting open and hurtling the seeds when it gets wet.

Plant parts used: Leaf, stem, root.

Herbal uses: An extract made with leaves and stems of the plant is used for gargling four times a day for five days to treat toothache.

Roots of the plantare used against kidney diseases and whooping cough. 

Paste prepared from the leaves and stems of the plant is applied to the affected part of the body to treat joint pain.

The plant is used for gonorrhoea, syphilis, bladder stones, bronchitis, and cancertreatment.

Distribution: The species occurs in most of the areas of the country.

Is this plant misidentified? If yes, please tell us….

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