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: भूई bhui • Konkani: तांडलो tamdlo • Punjabi: bui-kaltan • Sanskrit: अश्मःभेदः ashmahabhedah, भद्र bhadra, गोरक्षगञ्जा gorakshaganja, पाषाणभेद pashanabheda, शतकभेदी shatakabhedi
Botanical name: Aerva lanata Family: Amaranthaceae (Amaranth family) Synonyms: Aerva elegans, Illecebrum lanatum, Achyranthes 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: Dinesh Valke
| Photographed at Vaghbil, Thane, Maharashtra. |
|