Common name: Mexcian prickly poppy, Satyanashi सत्यानाशी (Hindi), குடியோட்டி Kudiyotti (Tamil), Ponnummattu (Malayalam), BaraShil-Kantal (Bengali), Firangi dhotra (Marathi), Datturigidda (Kannada), Kshirini (Sanskrit), Brahmadandi (Telugu), Phirangi dhutro (Konkani)
Botanical name: Argemone mexicana Family: Papaveraceae (poppy family)
It is a prickly, glabrous, branching herb with yellow juice and showy yellow
flowers, The Sanskrit name svarnakshiri is given because of the yellow juice
(Svarna - Gold; Kshiri - Juice ) In India it is introducd and naturalised and
occur as wasteland weed in almost every part of India. In many parts it is
repoorted as crop weed also. The height of this plant varies between 0.3 to
0.12 meters, Leaves are thistlelike. Stem clasping, Oblong, sinuately
pinnatifid, spinous and viens are white. Flowers are terminal, yellow and of
2.5–5.0 cm diameter. Fruits are capsule Flowering time is all round the year
in Indian conditions. The plants is toxic to animals and cattle avoid grazing
this plant.
| Photographed in Mussoorie |
|
aturalized