Morphology

It is an undershrub, short rootstock with numerous tuberous roots of about 30-100 cm long and 1-2 cm thick that are silvery white or ash coloured externally and white internally. Stem is woody perennial climber, whitish grey or brown coloured with small spines. Leaves are reduced to small scale called as cladodes. Cladodes from the axils of scale leaves in clusters of 2-6, 0.8-1.5 x 0.1-0.3 cm, linear-falcate, slightly triquetrous, base narrow, apex acute. Racemes 2.5-5 cm long, slender, axillary, solitary or clustered. Flowers are uniform and small in size. Flowers are white in colour having small spikes. Fruits are small, round in shape, and changes green to red colour on maturity. The fruits contain 2 to 3 lobed and changes from green to purple to black on ripening. Seeds are black in colour and hard with brittle testa

It is widely distributed across the globe and distribution ranges from tropical Africa, Australia, Java, Sri Lanka, Southern parts of China and India. In India it is mostly cultivated in different states like Assam, Kashmir, Maharastra, Karnataka, Odisha, and Kerala.

Inflammation, tuberculosis, duodenal ulcer, abdominal lump, diarrhoea, ulcerative colitis, disorders of blood, urinary disorders, hyperacidity, piles, fever caused by the aggrevation of vayii, hoarseness, night blindness, gout, bleeding disorder, erysepales, puerperal indispositions, lactation problems, decrease in breast milk