Botanical Name : Pergularia extensa N. E. Br.
Family : Asclepiadaceae; Periplocaceae.
Names in different Indian languages :
English : Hairknot Plant,Whitlow Plant
Hindi : Utaran,Jutak
Kannada : Talavaranaballi, halokoratige
Malayalam : Velliparuthi
Sanskrit : Kurutakah,uttamarani
Tamil : Velliparuthi
Telugu : Gurcettu, jittupaku
Folk : Utaran
Synonyms :
P. daemia (Forsk.) Chiov
Uttamaarani, Vrischikaali, Vishaanikaa. Phalakantaka. Ajashringi
Morphology :
The opposite and broadly ovate to suborbicular leaves are very variable in size, with petioles of varying length. The leaves are almost glabrous above and velvety below.
In the northern hemisphere the flowers appear from mid to late winter, and these are carried on lateral cymes. The flower corolla forms a greenish-yellow or dull white tube. The fruit mature after some 13 to 14 months when they release ovate seeds covered with velvety hairs.
Uses :
Uterine stimulant, tones up urinary bladder, stimulates gastric secretion, expectorant, emetic
Chemicals :
betaine, a polypeptide, hentriacontane, lupeol, alpha-and beta-amyrin, beta-sitosterol