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CLASSIFICATION

ORDER	: Gentianales
FAMILY	: Apocynaceae
GENUS	: Pergularia L.
SPECIES	: daemia
BOTANICAL NAME	: Pergularia daemia (Forssk.) Chiov.
SYNONYMS	: ---
COMMON NAME	: Pergularia, hair knot plant.
TAMIL NAME	: Veliparuthi
HINDI NAME	: Dholi dudhi.

PLANT DESCRIPTION

HABIT :  A perennial twiner with milky juice, foetid, hairy.

LEAVES :  Ovate, cordate, thin.

INFLORESCENCE :  Lateral cymes.

FLOWERS :  Greenish-yellow, bracteates, bracts small. Calyx lobes 5, ovate. Corolla bell-shaped, lobes 5, corona-lobes in 2-series, the inner spurred at the base and the apex with horns. Stamens 5, anthers erect with inflexed appendages. Pollinia one in each cell without translators or caudicles. Style apex exserted.

FRUIT :  Follicles with soft spines. Seeds comose.

FLOWERING AND FRUITING TIME :  August - January

MEDICINAL USES

Traditionally the plant P. daemia was used as anthelmintic, laxative, antipyretic and expectorant, and was also used to treat infantile diarrhoea and malarial intermittent fevers and possesses stomachic, laxative and diuretic properties, useful in cough, biliousness and sore eyes

Pergularia has been used in folk medicine for the treatment of liver disorders.

IMAGES

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