Botanical Name :– Sphaeranthus indicus L., Family :–Asteraceae.

Synonyms : - Sphaeranthus hirtus Willd., Sphaeranthus mollis Roxb., Sphaeranthus mollis Roxb. ex DC.

Regional Name :– English : East Indian globe thistle , Hindi : Mundi, Sanskrit : Mundi, Sravani, Kadamba, Puspika, Alambusta, Urdu : Mundi, Punjabi: Gorakhmundi, Assamese : Kamadarus, Bengali: Surmuriya, Chhagal Nadi, Mudmudiya, Gujrati: Gorakhmundi, Kannada : Mundi, Malayalam : Mirnagnee, Atookamanni, Mirangnee, Marathi : Mundi, Baras Bondi, Oriya : Buikadam, Tamil : Kotook, Karandai, Kottakarthai, Telugu : Bodasaramu, Bodataramu.

Part Used :- Whole Plant.

Description :- Mundi is an aromatic, much branched herb, 30-60 cm high. It is found throughout India, Nepal, Sri-Lanka, Malaysia, Australia and Myanmar in damp and shady places in plains. In India it is found all over the country, ascending to an altitude of 1,500 m in the hills. Leaf are sessile, decurrent, 2-7 cm long, 1-1.5 cm wide, obovate-oblong, narrowed to the base, dentate or serrate, hairy. The flowers are borne in terminal with purple coloured heads. In each head, the outer flowers are females, many of them are fertile. The central flowers are bisexual and fertile. Purple coloured corolla of female flowers are slender and tubular in structure, while corolla of hermaphrodite flowers are of purplish white colour, and are of funnel shaped.

Phytoconstituents :- It contains eudesmanolide, sterol glycosides, sesquiterpenlactones, flavonoids and many essential oils. It is also contains Methyl chavicol, p-methoxy cinnamaldehyde, d-cadinene and a-ionone, a-terpinene, geraniol, citral, geranyl acetate, sphaerene, b-ionene and sphaeranthine.

Ayurvedic Properties :- Rasa : Madhura, Katu, Tikta, Kasaya, Guna : Laghu, Vipaka : Katu, Virya : Usna, Karma : Arsadosa, Medhya, Vatakaphahara, Visaghna, Vinasaka.

Ayurvedic Applications :- Apaci, Amatisara, Amaroga, Amavata, Apasmara, Ardhavabhavabhedaka, Chardi, Gandamala, Gatradurgandhya, Gudaroga, Kustha, Krmi, Kasa, Medaroga, Mutrakrcchra, Pandu, Slipada, Tvaka Roga, Stana Saithalya, Pliharoga, Suryavarta, Yoniroga, Vataroga.

Medicinal Uses :- It is used as a nerve tonic, diuretic, vermicide and blood purifier. It is also useful in various diseases such as skin diseases, epilepsy, obesity, filariasis, anaemia, diseases of the anus and vagina channel. It is also used as a laxative, digestible, tonic, fattening, alterative, anthelmintic and alexipharmic. It is used in insanity, tuberculosis, asthma, bronchitis, spleen diseases, elephantiasis, pain in uterus and vagina, piles, leucoderma, dysentery, vomiting and hemicranias.