Digitalis purpurea - Hritpatri

Digitalis, Hritpatri

Hritpatri is a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous perennials. This genus was traditionally placed in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae. But recent phylogenetic research has placed it in the much enlarged family Plantaginaceae. This genus is native to western and southwestern Europe, western and central Asia and northwestern Africa.

Description

The scientific name means "finger-like" and refers to the ease with which a flower of Digitalis purpurea can be fitted over a human fingertip. The flowers are produced on a tall spike, are tubular, and vary in colour with species, from purple to pink, white, and yellow. The best-known species is the common foxglove, Digitalis purpurea. This biennial plant is often grown as an ornamental plant due to its vivid flowers which range in colour from various purple tints through various shades of light gray, and to purely white. The flowers can also possess various marks and spottings.

The term digitalis is also used for drug preparations that contain cardiac glycosides, particularly one called digoxin, extracted from various plants of this genus.

Uses

• A group of medicines extracted from foxglove plants are called digitalin. The use of D. purpurea extract containing cardiac glycosides for the treatment of heart conditions
• It was also approved for the control of ventricular response rate for patients with atrial fibrillation.
• It improves the renal blood flow, it improves the renal filtration and urine formation

Common name

• English - Foxglove
• 'Hindi - Tilpushpi

Properties

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

Rasa

Tikta (Bitter)

Guna

Laghu (Light), Rooksha (Dry)

Veerya

Sheeta (cold)

Karma

Kapha, Vaata

Habit

Herb

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
Simple	Alternate	The leaves are spirally arranged, simple, 10–35 cm (3.9–13.8 in) long and 5–12 cm (2–5 in) broad, and are covered with gray-white pubescent and glandular hairs, imparting a woolly texture.

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Bisexual	Elongated terminal	Violet	2	The flowers are arranged in a showy, terminal, elongated cluster, and each flower is tubular and pendent.

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
A capsule				{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}

Mode of Propagation

Seeds

Commonly seen growing in areas

Temperate area

Photo Gallery

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  At field

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  Flower

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  Whole herb

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  Flower

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  Buds

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  Leaves

External Links

• Digitalis-Wikipedia