Anagallis arvensis - Suryakanthi soppu

Suryakanthi soppu, Anagallis arvensis

Anagallis arvensis is a delicate herb with small brightly coloured flowers that often grows wild in fields, meadows, pastures etc.

Uses

Epilepsy, Mental problems, Dropsy, Skin infections, Liver disorder, Gall bladder.

Parts Used

Leaves.

Chemical Composition

Anagallis arvensis is one of the plants which used medicinally for many purposes. The seeds of Anagallis arvensis contained flavonoids.

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada
Hindi
Malayalam
Tamil
Telugu
Marathi
Gujarathi
Punjabi
Kashmiri
Sanskrit
English

Properties

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

Habit

Annual

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
Simple	Opposite	Leaves are opposite, rarely in a whorl of three, sessile to clasping at base, ovate to oval, 5 to 25mm long. The margins are entire, obtuse to somewhat acute at tip, the base is cordate. Both leaf surfaces are glabrous, and the bottom is dotted with black glands.

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Bisexual	Solitary, axillary	Blue-Pink	5	On thin peduncles of 1 to 5cm long, erect in flower, curved down on fruit. The calyx is persistent, with 5 lanceolate, acuminate lobes 3 to 5mm long. The corolla is deeply five-parted, 8 to 14mm across, a little shorter than the calyx; glandular hairs (terminal cell enlarged, globose) on the margins. Flowers have different colours, usually salmon, pink, red or blue; blue flowers are most common and white ones rare. Stamens five, attached to base of corolla, clothed with numerous purple-fringed (villous) filaments.

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
Capsule	3 to 5mm across		Membranous globose capsule, the top falling off as a lid	Seed 1mm long, three-angled, brown, covered with tiny scales.

Mode of Propagation

Seeds

How to plant/cultivate

Anagallis arvensis is a very adaptable plant and has spread as a weed throughout much of the temperate zone and into the subtropics.

Commonly seen growing in areas

Roadsides, Cultivated land, Preferring rather sandy soils.

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