Botanical Name

Capparis spinosa L.

Family

Capparidaceae.

Synonyms

Blumea grandiflora Zipp. ex Span., Capparis aculeata Steud., Capparis microphylla  Ledeb., Capparis murrayi Stewart ex Dalz., Capparis ovalis Risso, Capparis sativa Pers., Capparis  peduncularis C.Presl.

Regional Name

English : Ceper Plant, Hindi : Kabara, Hainsaa, Kanthara, Sanskrit : Himsra, Tiksna, Kanthari, Kantaka Tiksnaagandha, Urdu :Kaba, Punjabi : Barar, Kaur, Bengali : Kabra, Gujrati : Kabaree, Kannada : Katharimullinagida, Mullukattari, Malayalam : Capparo, Marathi : Kabar, Oriya : Kantiphali, Telugu : Kokilakshamu,

Part Used

Root & Fruit.

Description

Himsra is grows in Afghanistan, West Asia, Europe, North Africa and Australia. In India it grows from Punjab and Rajasthan to the Deccan Peninsula. Himsra is a thorny shrub distributed in the plains, lower Himalayas, and Western Ghats. The fruits known as Caperberries are oblong, multi-seeded, edible. Root pieces are up to 5.5 cm in thickness; bark rough to touch, thick showinglongitudinal lenticels; freshly broken surface light yellowish; wood hard and compactremnants of robust and slender rootlets present on the bark; colour varies from paleyellow to reddish-brown; no particular odour or taste.

Phytoconstituents

Himsra contains glycosides, flavonoids, reducing sugars, saponins, starch and terpenoids.It is also contain alkaloid stachydrine and 3-hydroxystachydrine, Glucobrassicin, neoglucobrassicin and 4-methoxyglucobrassicin. It is also contains glucosinolates, glucoiberin, glucocapparin, sinigrin, glucocleomin and glucocapangatin. The plant also contains rutin.

Ayurvedic Properties

Rasa :Katu, Tikta, Guna :Laghu, Ruksa,Vipaka :Katu, Virya :Usna, Karma :Dipani, Kaphahara, Vatahara, Rucya.

Ayurvedic Applications

Arsa, Gulma, Kasa, Vatarakta, Vrana, Vatavikara, Svasa,Galaganda, Amavata, Grdhrasi, Raktagranthi,Vatikayoniroga, Vatasopha, Granthi.

Medicinal Uses

It is used in preliminary treatment of acute viral hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, piles, digestive disorders, anaemia, edema, abscess,  inflammation, cough, asthma, Dyspnoea, Anorexia, joint aches and rheumatism. It is also used in vata disorders causing neuro muscular pains, sciatica and spondylosis.