Botanical Name
Family
Synonyms
Cracca piscatoria (Aiton) Lyons, Cracca purpurea L., Cracca wallichii (Fawc. & Rendle) Rydb., Galega colonila Buch.-Ham., Galega diffusa Roxb., Galega lanceifolia Roxb., Galega purpurea (L.) L., Tephrosia colonila (Ham.) Benth., Tephrosia diffusa (Roxb.) Wight & Arn., Tephrosia hamiltonii Gamble, Tephrosia ionophlebia Hayata, Tephrosia lanceifolia Link.
Regional Name
English : Wild indigo, Hindi : Sarpanka, Sarpankha, Sarphankha, Sarphonka, Sanskrit : Banah, Banapunkhah, Ishupunkhika, Kandapunkha, Urdu : Sarabhuka, Sarphoka, Sarphooka, Tamil : Kolingi, Kattukkolincai, Kannada : Koliniji, Egyali, Phanike, , Malayalam : Kattamari, Katamiri, Telugu : Bonta vempali, Bontavempali, Thellavempali, Vempali, Marathi : Sharapunkha, Udhadi,
Part Used
Whole Plant.
Description
It is globally distributed in the Pantropics. Within India, it is said to be found throughout an altitude upto 1850 m. in the Himalayas. It is also sometimes cultivated. Sharpunkha is a perennial erect herb, 30-60 cm in height. Stem is woody, 0.5-1.5 cm thick, cylindrical, slightly angular near the apex, outer surface is green and glabrous. Leaves are impairipinnate, 5-15 cm long. Leaflets: 9-21, glabrous above and obscurely silky beneath, narrow, oblanceolate. Flowers are about 7 mm long, borne in leaf-opposed racemes, blue or purple. Pods: linear, slightly curved, glabrescent. Seeds: 5-10, smooth, greenish-grey.
Phytoconstituents
Beta-Sitosterol, lupeol, retin, delphinidin chloride, cyaniding chloride, pongamol, solonchocarpin, lanceolatins A and B, karangin, kangone, 5,7-dimethoxy-8, flavanone, 2-methoxy-3-9-dihydroxycoumestone, flevichapparins B and C, methyl karanjic acid and purpurin.
Ayurvedic Properties
Rasa : Tikta, Kashaya, Guna : laghu, Ruksha, Tikshna, Taste : Bitter, Astringent, Virya : Ushna, Vipaka : Katu.
Ayurvedic Applications
Pachana, Depana, Jwara, Kushta, Arsha, Sotha, Kasa, Prameha and Pilahayakritroga.
Medicinal Uses
Roots is useful in inflammations, skin diseases, scrofula, elephantiasis, dyspepsia, stomachalgia, flatulence, diarrhea, rheumatism, haemorrhoea, chronic fever, boils pimples, haemorrhoids, anaemia, strangury, hepatosplenomegaly, verminosis, odontalgia and gingivitis. Leaves are useful in dyspesia, pectrol diseases, syphilis, gonorrhoea and bruises. Seeds: useful in skin diseases and rat poisoning. Seeds are used against worm infection in children. It is used in the treatment of leprosy, ulcers, asthma, bronchitis and tumors, as well as diseases of the liver, spleen, heart, blood and urinary disorders.