Crowfoot Grass

The scientific name of Crowfoot Grass: Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Willd.

Name of in different languages:

English: Beach wiregrass, Egptian Grass

Hindi: मकड़ा Makra

Malayalam: Kakkakalan pullu, Kavarapullu

Sanskrit: Takraa, Takraahvaa, Panchaanguli, Nrityakaundaka.

Useful plant parts:

Whole plant

Plant description:

Annual grass erect with culms up to 70 cm high, rooting at the lower nodes,and mat-forming,. Leaf are blades shaped flat, 3 to 25 cm long, 2.5 to 7.5 mm broad, papillose-hispid along the margins. Inflorescence composed of 3 to 9 linear to narrowly oblong spikes up to 6.5 cm long. Spikelets 3 to 4-flowered, broadly ovate, 3.5-4.5 mm long; glumes subequal, 1.5-2.2 mm long. Grain about 1 mm long, broadly obovate to obtriangular in profile, transversely rugose.

Medicinal uses:

wounds and ulcers, intestinal, biliary and urinary diseases, lumbago,

Chemical content:

Oxalic acid and oxalates, glutamic

Medicinal properties:

Astringent, bitter tonic, anthelmintic.

How to prepare medicines:

External application of ground pate can cure wounds and ulcers

It is one of the ingredient in the Ayurveda edicines like:-