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CLASSIFICATION

ORDER	:  Caryophyllales
FAMILY	:  Amaranthaceae
GENUS	:  Aerva Forssk.
SPECIES	:  lanata (L.) Juss. ex Schult.
BOTANICAL NAME	:  Aerva lanata (L.) Juss. ex Schult.
SYNONYMS	:  ---
COMMON NAME	:  Mountain knot grass.
TAMIL NAME	:  Ciru-pulai, ulinai.
HINDI NAME	:  Chhaya, gorakhbuti.

PLANT DESCRIPTION

HABIT :  Annual, diffuse, erect or ascending herbs, 15 - 50 cm tall, somewhat thickened and woody at base.

STEM :  simple or branched glandular, hairy, striate.

LEAVES :  Broadly ovate, elliptic or obovate, acute or subacute at apex, tapering at base appressedly hairy on both surfaces, entire along the margins; petioles 0.3 - 1.6 cm long, pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE :  Spikes.

Flowers :  Flowers small, whitish or greenish - white, in axillary spikes on 2 - 4, 0.5 - 3.0 cm long culminating into interrupted panicles at the end of the branches due to suppression of upper leaves.Staminodes 5; filaments pale - yellow.Stigmas 2.

FRUITS :  Utricle minute, broadly ovoid, subacute, smooth, shining, 1 - seeded.

SEEDS :  black, shining, smooth, acute at one end, with margins outside.

FLOWEING AND FRUITING TIME :  September - January.

MEDICINAL USES

Aerva lanata is commonly described in Ayurveda as a diuretic with anti-inflammatory, antihelmintic, anti-bacterial and mild analgesic effects.

It is used in the treatment of lithiasis, cough, asthma, and headache and as an antidote for rat poisoning.

Aerva Lanata possess wonderful antioxidant properties. Though here in our place we don’t use it in cooking, some cultures do use the leaves of the plant in cooking like any other greens. Consuming this plant is one of the best ways to enjoy it’s antioxidant potential.

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