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Mountain Knot Grass
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Mountain Knot Grass
ative Photo: Thingnam Girija
Common name: Mountain Knot Grass • Hindi: छाया Chhaya, गोरखबूटी gorakhbuti, गोरखगांजा gorakhganja, कपूरीजड़ी kapurijadi, खली khali, खरी khari • Marathi: कापूरमाधुरी kapurmadhuri • Tamil: சிறுபூளை ciru-pulai, உழிஞை ulinai • Malayalam: ചെറൂള cherula • Telugu: పిండిదొండ pindidonda • Kannada: ಬಿಳಿ ಹಿಮ್ಡಿ ಸೊಪ್ಪು bili himdi soppu • Bengali: ছায়া chaya • Rajasthani: छोटी बुई Chhoti bui • Konkani: तांडलो tamdlo • Punjabi: bui-kaltan • Sanskrit: अश्मःभेदः ashmahabhedah, भद्र bhadra, गोरक्षगञ्जा gorakshaganja, पाषाणभेद pashanabheda, शतकभेदी shatakabhedi
Botanical name: Ouret lanata    Family: Amaranthaceae (Amaranth family)
Synonyms: Aerva elegans, Illecebrum lanatum, Aerva lanata

Mountain Knot Grass is a perennial herb, occasionally woody below, prostrate to erect, 0.3-2 m, branched from the base and often also from above. Stem and branches are densely woolly with whitish or yellowish, shaggy hairs. Alternately arrange leaves are nearly circular to lanceshaped-elliptic, wedge-shaped at the base, rounded to sharp at the tip. Leaves are usually densely woolly on the lower surface and more thinly so above. Leaves on the main stem are 1-5 cm long, 0.5-3.5 cm wide, those of the branches and upper part of the stem are smaller. Leaf stalks are up to 2 cm. Flower spikes are stalkless, solitary or usually in clusters in leaf axils, 0.4-1.5 cm long, 3-4 mm wide, divergent, cylindrical, silky white to creamy, forming a long inflorescence leafy to the ultimate spikes.
Medicinal uses: This herb is described as one of the best known remedies for bladder and kidney stones. Ayurvedic practitioners recommend a decoction of the plant to be taken internally for a few days to dissolves the stone and to clear the urinary path.

Identification credit: Tabish Photographed in JNU campus, Delhi.

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