Mountain knotgrass

Scientific name of Mountain knotgrass: Aerva lanata (Linn.) Juss.ex Schultes

Synonyms: Achyranthes lanata Linn., Aerva floribunda Wight

 Family:  Amaranthaceae

Name of  Mountain knotgrass in different languages:-

English:  Aerva

Sanskrit: Astmabayda, bhadra, Barduka

Hindi: Chaya, Gorakhbuti or Kapuri jadi.

Malayalam: Cheroola ചെറൂള, Balippovu ബലിപ്പൂവ്

Bengali:  Chaya

Gujarat:  Kapurimadhura

Tamil:  Cerupulai

Telungu:  Pondikumada

Plant description of Mountain knotgrass 

Mountain knotgrass (Aerva lanata (Linn.) Juss.ex Schultes) is an annual, erect, branching herb, grows up to 1 m tall, commonly found in plane areas, roadsides as a weed. Leaves are alternately arranged, ovoid and 4 cm long. Flowers are dull white and grow in the leaf axils, as tiny clusters and sized 2.5 mm long and covered all part of the stem, flowering is May to October. The root of the plant is aromatic like camphor. This is one of ten sacred flowers of Kerala (Dasapushpam).

Useful plant parts: Whole plant

Medicinal uses: to treat the cough problems, burn, Pita, bleeding, worm infestation, kidney stone, one among Dasapushpam group.

Chemical contents:

Alkaloids - ervine, methylervine, methylaervine, aervoside, ervoside, aervine, ervolanine, and aervolanine
Flavanoids-kaempferol, quercetin, persinosides A and B and isorhamnetin, persinol.
methyl grevillate, β-sitosteryl acetate and tannic acid and lupeol, lupeol acetate benzoic acid, .

Medicinal properties:

Anti-diabetic, anti parasitic, anti fertility , antimicrobial, diuretic, hypolipidemicanti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic,  hepoprotective, anti-urolithiasis and anti asthmatic.

Propagation: Seeds

How to prepare medicines:

It is one of the ingredients in the Ayurveda medicines like-

UreazeTablets

Brihatyadikashayam

Garbharaksha Kashayam

MutraVirechaniyaKashayas 

Nisakathakadikashayam

JatyadiThailam

Dadhika Ghrita

Trikantaka Ghritam

Learn more:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3263055/