Sanskrit name
Kaknasa
Identification No.
SDACH/HG/168
Botanical name
Asclepias curassavica
Family name
Asclepiadaceae (Apocynaceae subfamily)
Vernacular names
Hindi: Kaknasa
English: Wild cotton
Tamil: Vellikkanthal
Malayalam: Kakkonam
Kannada: Kakkanasa
Synonyms (Bhav Prakash)
काकनासा तु काकाङ्गी काकतुण्डफला च सा ॥२४८॥काकनासा कषायोष्णा कटुका रसपाकयोः । कफघ्नी वामनी तिक्ता शोथार्शश्वित्रकुष्ठहृत् ॥२४९॥
Classification
Bhav Prakash: Mentioned in guduchyadi Varga
Habitat & Distribution
Found in tropical and subtropical regions of India, especially in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and parts of southern India. It grows in dry, arid zones and hedges.
Morphology
A twining or scrambling shrub with slender, wiry branches. Leaves are ovate-lanceolate, opposite. Flowers small, greenish-purple in axillary clusters. Fruits are slender, fusiform follicles with seeds having silky hairs.
Substitute / Adulterant
No major substitutes or adulterants documented. Sometimes confused with similar twining Asclepiadaceous plants.
Phytochemicals
Alkaloids, Triterpenoids, Flavonoids, Saponins, Glycosides
Raspanchaka
Rasa: Tikta, Kashaya
Guna: Laghu, Ruksha
Virya: Sheeta
Vipaka: Katu
Prabhava: Nasarogahara
Dosha shamakta: Pitta-Kapha hara
Karma (Rogaghnata)
Shwasahara (relieves asthma), Kaphaghna, Kandughna (anti-pruritic), Nasarogahara (beneficial in nasal disorders), Krimighna (anthelmintic)
Amayika Prayoga / Therapeutic Uses
External: Useful in skin diseases, nasal applications, and swelling
Internal: Used in cough, asthma, nasal congestion, and internal worm infestations
Part used
Root, leaves, and whole plant
Dose
Powder: 1–3 grams; Decoction: 20–50 ml
Yoga/Formulations
Used in Nasya oils, decoctions for cough and asthma, and formulations for skin and nasal diseases
IUCN Status
Not Evaluated (NE)
Research Updates
2020: Antimicrobial efficacy against skin pathogens (Journal of Ethnobotany)
2021: Anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of root extract (Phytomedicine Research)
2022: Phytochemical screening and antioxidant activity reported (Indian Journal of Natural Products)
