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 It grows erect to a height of 30-110 cm in moist shady places with
glabrous leaves and white flowers with rose-purple spots on the
petals. Stem dark green, 0.3 - 1.0 m in height, 2 - 6 mm in
diameter, quadrangular with longitudinal furrows and wings on the
angles of the younger parts, slightly enlarged at the nodes; leaves
glabrous, up to 8.0 cm long and 2.5 cm broad, lanceolate, pinnate;
flowers small, in lax spreading axillary and terminal racemes or
panicles; capsules linear-oblong, acute at both ends, 1.9 cm x 0.3
cm; seeds
Medicinal Properties: The plant is bitter, acrid, cooling, laxative,
vulnerary, antipyretic, antiperiodic, anti-inflammatory,
expectorant, depurative, soporific, anthelmintic, digestive and
useful in hyperdispsia, buring sensation, wounds, ulcers, chronic
fever, malarial and intermittent fevers, inflammations, cough,
bronchitis, skin diseases, leprosy, colic, flatulence, diarrhoea,
dysentery, haemorrhoids etc. Kalmegh is also a reputed Homoeopathic
drug. In Bengal (India), household medicine known as "Alui" is
prepared from fresh leaves and is given to children suffering from
stomach complaints. Recent experimental finding indicated that
Kalmegh is having antityphoid and antibiotic properties. It has been
proved to be hepatopratective drug.numerous, sub quadrate, yellowish
brown. |
