Aerva lanata

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Aerva lanata
Aerva lanata var rotundifolia
Aerva lanata var rotundifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Amaranthaceae
Subfamily: Amaranthoideae
Genus: Aerva
Species: A. lanata[1]
Binomial name
Aerva lanata
(L.) Juss. ex Schult.
Synonyms

Achyranthes lanata L.
Aerva elegans Moq.
Illecebrum lanatum (L.) Murr.[2]
Achyranthes villosa Forssk.
Aerva arachnoidea Gand.
Aerva incana Suess.
Aerva mozambicensis Gand.
Aerva sansibarica Suess.
Illecebrum lanatum (L.) L. [3]

Aerva lanata is a woody, prostrate or succulent, perennial herb in the Amaranthaceae family of the genus Aerva that sometimes flowers in the first year.[4][5]

Contents

[edit] Common names

  • Bengali: Chaya.
  • Rajasthani: Bhui.
  • Sindhi: Bhui, Jari.
  • Punjabi: Bui -kaltan (flowers as sold in bazaars).
  • Duk.: Kul -ke -jar, Khul.
  • Trans-Indus: Asmei, Spirke, Sasai.
  • Marathi: Kapu -madhura.
  • Tamil: Sirru -pulay -vayr.
  • Telugu: Pinde-conda, Pindi-chetter.
  • Sanskrit: Astmabayda[6]
  • Akan-Asante bameha
  • Abure n-tanfa
  • Akye: munongbe
  • Baule akopinolé
  • Guere (Chiehn) ura ore, wore oré (K&B) wulo wulé (B&D)

[edit] Distribution

A. lanata prefers damper sites than A. javanica and can be found in open forests on mountain slopes, on waste and disturbed ground, deserted cultivation and coastal scrub[4] and at altitudes from sea level to 900 metres (3,000 ft).[6]

Native
Afrotropic:
Northeast Tropical Africa: Ethiopia, Somalia
East Tropical Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
West-Central Tropical Africa: Cameroon, Rwanda, Zaire
West Tropical Africa: Cote D'Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo
South Tropical Africa: Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe
Southern Africa: South Africa - Natal, Transvaal
Western Indian Ocean: Madagascar
Arabian Peninsula: Saudi Arabia
Indomalaya:
Indian Subcontinent: India, Sri Lanka
Malesia: Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines
Australasia: Queensland[1]

[edit] Uses

The plant is said to be diuretic and demulcent. Its diuretic action is said to be very effective in the treatment of urethral discharges and gonorrhoea and is of value in cases of lithiasis and as an anthelmintic. A trace of alkaloid has been detected.

Food
The whole plant, especially the leaves, is edible. The leaves are put into soup or eaten as a spinach or as a vegetable. The plant provides grazing for stock, game in and chickens.
Medicinal
Leaves
A leaf-decoction is prepared as a gargle for treating sore-throat and used in various complex treatments against guinea-worm. to wash Babies that have become unconscious during an attack of malaria or of some other disease are washed with a leaf decoction at the same time smoke from the burning plant is inhaled. The leaf-sap is also used for eye-complaints. An infusion is given to cure diarrhoea and in an unspecified manner at childbirth, and on sores.
Leaves
The root is used in a snake-bite treatment.
Flowers
For pains in the lower part of the back leaves and flowers are reduced to ash which is rubbed into cuts on the back.
Spiritual
It gives protection against evil spirits, is a good-luck talisman for hunters, and safeguards the well-being of widows.[5]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) (1987-04-28). Taxon: Aerva lanata (L.) Juss. ex Schult. (HTML). Taxonomy for Plants. USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program, National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved on 2008-04-27.
  2. ^ Flora of Pakistan. "Aerva lanata (Linn.) Juss. ex J.A. Schultes": Page 31. 
  3. ^ Aerva lanata (L.) Juss. ex Schult. record n° 177 (HTML). African Plants Database. South African National Biodiversity Institute, the Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève and Tela Botanica. Retrieved on 2008-04-27.
  4. ^ a b Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. "Amaranthaceae by C. C. Townsend" (HTML). Flora Zambesiaca 9 (part:1). Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 
  5. ^ a b Aluka. Entry for Aerva lanata (Linn.) Juss. [family AMARANTHACEAE] (HTML). African Plants. Ithaka Harbors, Inc. DOI:10.5555/AL.AP.UPWTA.1_130. Retrieved on 2008-04-27.
  6. ^ a b Robert Freedman (1998-01-20). Famine Foods - AMARANTACEAE (HTML). Purdue University. Retrieved on 2008-04-20.

[edit] External links

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