Hygrophila auriculata

Hygrophila auriculata (Sanskrit: gokaṇṭa, Bangla (বাংলা নাম): kulekhara (কুলেখাড়া)[2] kokilākṣa)[3][4] is a herbaceous, medicinal plant in the acanthus family that grows in marshy places and is native to tropical Asia and Africa.[5] In India it is commonly known as kokilaksha or gokulakanta, in Sri Lanka as neeramulli. In Kerala it is called vayalchulli (വയൽച്ചുളളി). In Tamil it is called Neermulli (நீர்முள்ளி).

Hygrophila auriculata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Acanthaceae
Genus: Hygrophila
Species:
H. auriculata
Binomial name
Hygrophila auriculata
Synonyms[1]
List
    • Asteracantha auriculata Nees
    • Asteracantha lindaviana De Wild. & T.Durand
    • Asteracantha longifolia (L.) Nees
    • Asteracantha macracantha Hochst. ex A.Rich.
    • Bahel schulli Buch.-Ham.
    • Barleria auriculata Schumach.
    • Barleria cornigera Very ex Nees
    • Barleria glabrata Vahl ex Nees
    • Barleria hexacantha Bertol.
    • Barleria hexacantha Moris
    • Barleria longifolia L.
    • Barleria macracantha R.Br.
    • Barleria spinosa Hook. ex Nees
    • Hygrophila lindaviana (De Wild. & T.Durand) Burkill
    • Hygrophila longifolia (L.) Kurz
    • Hygrophila schulli M.R.Almeida & S.M.Almeida
    • Hygrophila schulli var. alba Parmar
    • Hygrophila spinosa T.Anderson
    • Ruellia longifolia (L.) Roxb.
    • Tenoria undulata Dehnh.

Introduction - hygrophila or marsh barbel (English) It is commonly called in Tamil as a niramuli. An annual herbal plant growing up to 60 cm in height. The stem of the plant is tetragonal, hairy and stiff at the nodes. The bark is dark brown, although the leaves are elliptic-lanceolate and herpid. The flowers are purple and to a lesser extent violet blue. The fruit resembles a four-sided shape, linear, glabrous and about 1 cm long with seeds that are hairy and brown in color.

Medicinal usage in Ayurveda

In ayurveda, its seeds, roots and panchang (pancha = five and ang = parts, i.e. root, flowers, stem, fruits and leaves as ash burnt together) are used as a medication.[6][7] It has hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity and can reduce toxic accumulation from certain therapies.

References
  1. "Hygrophila auriculata (Schumach.) Heine". Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  2. Monier Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary s.v. gokaṇṭa at http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/monier/
  3. "Sanskrit names". 1890.
  4. amarakosh (1907). "section - forest medicinal plants".
  5. Hygrophila auriculata in Flora of Pakistan, at Efloras.org at http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=242422930 and IUCN Red list of Species at http://oldredlist.iucnredlist.org/details/168863/0
  6. Medicinal Plants by Dr. M. Daniel
  7. सुश्रुत संहिता (sushrut samhita ) An English translation of the Sushruta samhita, based on original Sanskrit text. Edited and published by Kaviraj Kunja Lal Bhishagratna. With a full and comprehensive introd., translation of different readings, notes, comparative views, index, glossary and plates (1907)
  • J.S. Gamble, 1921. Flora of the Presidency of Madras Vol.2
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