Abutilon indicum Linn. Sweet.
Synonym A. indicum G. Don. Family Malvaceae.
English Names: Country Mallow, Flowering Maples, Chinese Bell-flowers.
Ayurvedic Names: Atibalaa, Kankatikaa, Rishyaproktaa.
Unani Names: Kanghi, Musht-ul-Ghaul, Darkht-e-Shaan.
Siddha/Tamil Names: Thutthi.
Folk Names: Kanghi, Kakahi, Kakahiyaa.
Assamese Jopa bondha, Japapetari
Bengali পোটারী Potari
Eng Country mallow, Moon flower, Indian Abutilon
English Name : Country Mallow, Country mellow
Hin Atibala, Kanghi, Itawari, Tara kanchi, Jhili
Hindi Name : कंघी Kanghi
Irula Suluku poo
Kannada Tutti, Urki, Hettukisu, Hetutti, Gidutingi, Shrimudri
Malayalam വെല്ലുരമ് Velluram
Marathi पेटारी Petari
Others Abutilon, Velluram, Country Mallow, Thutthi, Indian Abutilon, Kattooran, Ooram, Indian Mallow
Tamil Name : Paniyaratutti, Ottututti, Tuttikkirai, Kakkati, Thuthi
Telugu Name : Nugoobenda, Botlabenda, Adavibenda, Tuturabenda, Thellabenda, Dudi
mal Pettekaputti, Velluram, Katuram, Tuvatti, Tatta, Belocre
mar Kansuli, Akakai, Vikankati, Mudrika, Petaari 0
Morphology
Herbs, 3 m in height; branches terete, downly tomentose; stem covered with soft velvety tomentum.
Leaves simple, alternate, spiral; stipules linear ca. 2-5 mm long, petioles ca. 2-18 cm long, stellate pubescent mixed with sparse, simple, spreading hairs; lamina ca. 1.7-15 x 1-12 cm, cordate at base, acute or acuminate at apex, irregularly dentate, stellate pubescent above, grey felted beneath; palmately 5-9 nerved at base; secondary nerves 2-3 pairs.
Flowers axillary, solitary, ca. 2.5 cm in diam., golden-yellow; pedicel ca. 4 cm, articulate near apex, grey stellate puberulent; calyx ca. 6-10 mm in diam., green, disk-shaped, densely grey puberulent, lobes 5, broadly ovate, apex acute, corolla uniformly yellow; petals obovate, 1-1.5 cm long and broad, claw hairy on the margin; staminal column 5-7 mm long, stellate pubescent; Schizocarps ca. 1.5-2.5 cm in diam., globular, flat or slightly indented at apex; mericarps 15-27, blackish, reniform, upper part with a short acute mucro, dorsally and ventrally stellate-hairy, laterally glabrous, smooth. Seeds 2-3, ca. 1.5-2 mm in diam., black brownish, reniform, minutely stellate-hairy or glabrescent.
Flower
Solitary, axillary; yellow coloured. Flowering from November-January.
Fruit
A globose schizocarp, green when young, later black; mericarps 15-20, stellate hairy; seeds 3 per cell, ovoid to suborbicular, warty. Fruiting throughout the year.
Field tips
Leaves glaucous beneath.
Leaf Arrangement
Alternate-spiral
Leaf Type
Simple
Leaf Shape
Cordate
Leaf Apex
Acute-Acuminate
Leaf Base
cordate
Leaf Margin
Crenate-Dentate
Medicinal Uses :
Dried, whole plant— febrifuge, anthelmintic, demulcent, diuretic, anti-inflammatory (in urinary and uterine discharges, piles, lumbago). Juice of the plant— emollient. Seeds—demulcent (used in cough, chronic cystitis), laxative. Leaves—cooked and eaten for bleeding piles. Flowers— antibacterial, anti-inflammatory. Bark—astringent, diuretic. Root— nervine tonic, given in paralysis; also prescribed in strangury.
Along with other therapeutic applications, The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India indicates the use of the root in gout, polyuria and haemorrhagic diseases.
The plant contains mucilage, tannins, asparagines, gallic acid and sesquiterpenes. Presence of alkaloids, leucoanthocyanins, flavonoids, sterols, triterpenoids, saponins and cardiac glycosides is also reported.
Asparagine is diuretic. Gallic acid is analgesic. Mucilages act by reflex, loosen cough as well as bronchial tension. Essential oil—antibacterial, antifungal.
The drug exhibits immunological activity. It augments antibody in animals. EtOH (50%) extract of A. indicum ssp. guineense Borssum, synonym A. asiaticum (Linn.) Sweet, exhibits anticancer activity.
Dosage Root—3—6 g powder.
Image Courtesy to wikipedia commons
