Tragia involucrata - Duhsparsha

Duhsparsha, Tragia involucrata

Tragia involucrata is a perennial twinning herb, covered with stinging hairs. Flowers are borne in racemes in leaf axils. Female flowers are few, in lower part of inflorescence; male flowers are many in the upper part. Fruit is a 3-lobed capsule, containing 3 round smooth seeds.

Uses

Fever, Itching, Bronchits, Skin Diseases, Baldness.

Parts Used

Leaves, Roots.

Chemical Composition

Seeds yield a fixed oil containing about 62% linoleic acid and enzymes. They are also rich in proteins (Ghani, 2003)

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada	Turike Balli
Hindi	Barhanta
Malayalam	Kodithoova, Cherukodithuva
Tamil	Kanchori
Telugu	Telukondicettu
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit	Vrischikali
English	stinging nettle

Properties

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

Habit

Annual herb

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
Simple	Leaves 6-10 x 3-5.5 cm	Ovate or elliptic, base acute or rounded, margin serrate, apex acuminate, hispidulous on both sides and petiole to 2.5 cm long

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Unisexual	2 cm long	Yellow	3-5	Female flowers c. 3 mm across, ebracteate; tepals 6, c. 1 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, enlarged and spreading in fruits

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
enlarged	ovate-lanceolate	Capsule c. 0.6 x 1 cm, 3-lobed, hispid	With hooked hairs	Seeds globose	{{{6}}}

Mode of Propagation

Seeds.

How to plant/cultivate

Easily grown in most soils, preferring a calcareous soil. Thrives in a dry lightly shaded position[16], though it prefers full sun. Plants usually self-sow quite freely when growing in a suitable position[19]. The seeds are contained in burrs that can easily attach themselves to clothing or animal's fur, thus transporting them to a new area where they can germinate and grow.The cultivar 'Sweet scented' is popular in France for making tea because the whole plant is sweet scented and the flowers have a spicy apricot-like fragrance

Commonly seen growing in areas

Tall grasslands, meadows, Borders of forests and fields.

Photo Gallery

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External Links

• PHYTOCHEMICAL, PHARMACOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROFILES OF TRAGIA SPECIES
• Some Pharmacognostical Characteristics of Tragia Involucrata Linn. Roots
• Tragia involucrata on asia-medicinalplants
• Tragia involucrata on keralaayurvedics