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CLASSIFICATION

ORDER	:   Fabales
FAMILY	:  Fabaceae
GENUS	:  Abrus Adans.
SPECIES	:  precatorius L.
BOTANICAL NAME	:  Abrus precatorius L.
SYNONYMS	:  Glycine abrus L.
COMMON NAME	:  Rosary pea, coral bead vine.
TAMIL NAME	:  Cikantikai, kunri, kunruani.
HINDI NAME	:  Chirmithi, ghunghchi.

PLANT DESCRIPTION:

HABIT :   A perennial climber.

BRANCHES :   More or less hairy or glabrous.

LEAVES :   Abruptly pinnate, light green in colour, 5-10 cm long; leaflets 10-20 pairs, glabrous above, more or less hairy beneath, ligulate, oblong.

INFLORESCENCE :   Flowers crowded in many-flowered racemes.

FLOWERS :   Calyx long, glabrous or slightly silky. Corolla long, pink or rosy or sometimes white. Stamens 9, monadelphous. Ovary stalked, Style incurved, Stigma capitate.

FRUITS :   Pods flat, beaked, stout, turgid, 2.5-3 cm long about 1cm broad.

SEEDS :   3-5 in number, 5-6 mm long, polished, subglobose, bright red with a black spot at one end.

FLOWERING AND FRUTING TIME :   Towards the end of the monsoon and later, September - December.

MEDICINAL USES

The Abrus seeds are considered poisonous in Ayurveda and a specific method has been written to purify them.

The purified Abrus is a nerve stimulant and is used in vata disorders like joint pains and paralysis.

The paste of seeds is applied locally in alopecia and skin diseases.

It has also been mentioned as a contraceptive in Ayurveda.

IMAGES

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