Botanical Name
Boerhavia diffusa L.
Family
Nyctaginaceae.
Synonyms
Boerhavia repens var. diffusa (L.) Hook.f.
Regional Name
English : Horse Purslene, Hog Weed, Hindi :Gadapurna, Lalpunarnava, Sanskrit :Kahailla, Sophaghni, Sothaghni, Varsabhu, Urdu : Tukhm-i-ispast, Punjabi :ltcit (Ial), Khattan, Assamese :Ranga Punarnabha, Bengali :Raktapunarnava, Gujrati :Dholisaturdi, Motosatodo, Kannada :Sanadika, Kommeberu, Komma, Kashmiri :Vanjula Punarnava, Malayalam :Chuvanna Tazhutawa, Marathi :Ghetuli, Vasuchimuli, Satodimula, Punarnava, Khaparkhuti, Oriya :Lalapuiruni, Nalipuruni, Tamil :Mukurattai (Shihappu), Telugu :Atikamamidi, Erragalijeru.
Part Used
Root.
Description
Punernava is widely dispersed, occurring throughout India, the Pacific, and southern United States . It is found wild throughout India and Sri Lanka. It is also cultivated to some extent in West Bengal. The herb is variable diffusely branched and creeping herbaceous perennial with stout root stock and many long slender, prostrate or ascending branches. Stem are greenish purple, stiff, slender, cylindrical, swollen at nodes, minutely pubescent or nearly glabrous, prostrate divericately branched, branches from common stalk 1 metre long. Roots are well developed, fairly long, somewhat tortuous, cylindrical, 0.2-1.5 cm in diameter, yellowish brown coloured, surface soft to touch, fracture, short, no distinct odour, taste, slightly bitter.
Phytoconstituents
Punernava contains about 0.04-0.1 % of Alkaloid Punarnavine and punernavoside. It also contains 6 % potassium nitrate and ursolic acid. Two rotenoids Boeravinones G and H are obtain from Punarnava.
Ayurvedic Properties
Rasa :Madhura, Tikta, Kasaya, Guna :Ruksa, Vipaka :Madhura, Virya :Usna, Karma :Anulomana, Sothahara, Mutrala, Vataslesmahara.
Ayurvedic Applications
Sotha, Pandu
Medicinal Uses
Punarnava is used to treat anaemia, jaundice, oedema, internal abscess, calculi, eye diseases, oedema during pregnancy, haemoptysis, for inducing sleep, removes itching, fever, rheumatic ailments, epilepsy, hysteria, gastritis, convulsion, asthma, dysentery, diarrhoea, difficult labour, vaginal pain and rejuvenation.