Aerva lanata (L.) Juss. ex Schult.
Family Amaranthaceae.
Habitat The warmer parts of India, ascending to 1,000 m.
Ayurvedic Paashaanabheda. Gorakshaganj aa, Aadaanpaaki, Shatkabhedi.
Siddha/Tamil Sirupeelai.
Folk Paashaanabheda (southern India), Gorakhagaanj aa.
Action Anticalculus (used in lithiasis), diuretic, demulcent, anthelmintic, antidiarrhoeal, anticholerin, bechic; leaf used in hepatitis, root in strangury. A deco ction of the plant is used in catarrh of bladder. The flowers and roots are used for headache.
Key application As diuretic and lithontriptic. (The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia.)
The plant contains palmitic acid, beta-sitosterol and alpha-amyrin.
Aerva scandens Wall., synonym A. sanguinolenta Blume, is also known as Paashaanabheda in the south.
Species used as Paashaanabheda:
Bergenia ligulata (north), Aerva lanata
(south), Coleus amboinicus (east) and
Bryophyllum pinnatum (west).
Dosage 50—100 ml decoction. (CCRAS.)
