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Rudravanti
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Rudravanti
ative Photo: Dinesh Valke
Common name: Rudravanti, Littoral bind weed • Hindi: रुद्रवंती rudravanti • Marathi: लोण lona, रुद्रवंती rudravanti • Tamil: உப்புசணக uppucanaka • Malayalam: azhukanni • Telugu: ఉప్పుగడ్డి uppugaddi, ఉప్పుసెనగ uppusenaga • Kannada: ಮುಳ್ಳುಮದ್ದುಗಿಡ mullumaddugida • Konkani: चवल chaval • Urdu: Rudanti • Gujarati: Una • Sanskrit: रुद्रवन्ति rudravanti, Palitaka
Botanical name: Cressa cretica    Family: Convolvulaceae (Morning glory family)

Rudravanti is a shrubby, diffuse herb, a few cm to 30 cm high, arising from a woody perennial root-stock. It is commonly found in India along sandy sea shores. Numerous stalkless leaves are very small, ovate, acute tipped, hairy or ashy-velvety. Flowers are small, white or pink, nearly stalkless in upper leaf axils, forming a many-flowered head. Sepals are 5, flower is funnel-shaped, and stamens protrude out of the flower. It is commonly in cultivated fields about Mumbai. Flowering: December-February.
Medicinal ues: According to Ayurved, it is bitter, pungent, rough and hot in properties. The whole plant is used for medicinal purposes. It is useful herb for asthma, bronchitis, dyspepsia, flatulence, colic, anorexia, anemia, diabetes and skin disease.

Identification credit: Tony Rodd & Dinesh Valke
Photographed at Vasai Creek, Maharashtra.
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