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CLASSIFICATION

ORDER	:  Asterales
FAMILY	:  Asteraceae
GENUS	:  Glossocardia
SPECIES	:  bosvallia (L.f.) DC.
BOTANICAL NAME	:  Glossocardia bosvallia (L.f.) DC.
SYNONYMS	:  ---
COMMON NAME	:  Patthar suva
TAMIL NAME	:  Parapalanam
HINDI NAME	:  Patthar suva

PLANT DESCRIPTION

HABIT:   Patthar Suva is a small annual herb, 10-20 cm tall. The plant is branched from the base and the branches are grooved.

LEAVES:   Alternately arranged leaves, 1.5 cm long, are pinnately cut in to linear segments.

FLOWERS:   Yellow flowers are borne in heads carried on slender stalks, in leaf axils or at the end of branches. Outer 3 bracts are 3 mm long, 3 inner ones are 7 mm long, striped. Seedpods are 6 mm, brown, hairy.

FLOWERING AND FRUTING TIME:   Flowering:   August-December.

MEDICINAL USES

The tribal inhabitants of western Maharashtra use a decoction of the plant as febrifuge. A paste of the fresh Pithari plant is applied to promote healing of sores and wounds.

It has a bitter taste and fennel like odour.

Besides serving as a medicinal plant Pithari plant is also used in culinary purposes. People of some states in India take Pithari plant as a vegetable.

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