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Lepidium sativum - Charmahantri

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Charmahantri, Garden cress

Charmahantri is also known as Garden cress, mustard and cress, garden pepper cress, pepperwort pepper grass, chandrashura or poor man's pepper. Garden cress is genetically related to watercress and mustard, sharing their peppery, tangy flavor and aroma.

Uses

Asthma, Cough, Snakebites, Counter gout, Skin deseases, Diabates, Scurvy, Diarrhea, Blood pressure.

Parts Used

Seeds, Roots, Leaves.

Chemical Composition

Atropine sulphate, carbachol (CCh), dicyclomine, isoprenaline, verapamil, and rolipram were purchased from Sigma Chemicals Company, St. Louis, MO, USA.[1]

Common names

Language Common name
Kannada ಅಲ್ಲಿಬೀಜ Allibeeja, ಕುರ್ಟಿಗೆ ಗಿಡ Kurtige gida
Hindi Akalam, Candsur
Malayalam Asali
Tamil Aali, Aalividai
Telugu Aadithyalu, Aandilee
Marathi Ahaliv
Gujarathi NA
Punjabi NA
Kashmiri NA
Sanskrit Ahaleeva, Asalika
English Common cress, Garden cress

[2]

Properties

Reference: Dravya - Substance, Rasa - Taste, Guna - Qualities, Veerya - Potency, Vipaka - Post-digesion effect, Karma - Pharmacological activity, Prabhava - Therepeutics.

Dravya

Rasa

Katu (pungent)

Guna

Laghu (lightness), Rooksha (dryness), Teekshna (strong, piercing)

Veerya

Ushna (Hot potency)

Vipaka

Katu (pungent)

Karma

Kapha, Vata

Prabhava

Habit

Annual plant

Identification

Leaf

Kind Shape Feature
Pinnate/Pinnatifid Alternate Basal leaves long-petioled, irregularly pinnatifid, drying early; cauline ones sessile, pinnate, less incised with oblong-linear segments, sparsely pubescent with simple hairs; upper ones linear, entire.

[3]

Flower

Type Size Color and composition Stamen More information
Bisexual Terminal and axillary racemes White 6 Pedicels cylindric, ascending or subappressed, to 3.5 mm long in fruit, glabrous. Sepals 1.5-1.75 mm long, sparsely pubescent outside. Petals spathulate, somewhat clawed, 2.5-2.75 mm long, sometimes reddish and distinctly nerved.

Fruit

Type Size Mass Appearance Seeds More information
Silicula 5-6 x 3-5 mm across Compressed, keeled at the back, apex emarginate and broadly winged, glabrous, style about 0.2-0.5 mm long. {{{5}}} {{{6}}}

Other features

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

[4]

Where to get the saplings

Mode of Propagation

Seeds, Cuttings.

How to plant/cultivate

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils. For the best results, however, it requires a moist soil and also some shade during the summer to prevent it going straight to seed.[5]

Commonly seen growing in areas

Temperate area, Tropical area.

Photo Gallery

References

External Links