Convolvulus prostratusForssk.

(Shankapushpi)



Common nameShankapushpi
HabitHerb
HabitatSandy or rocky ground and also in the waste lands
Parts usedWhole plant

Synonyms

Sr. No. Synonyms
1Convolvulus austroaegyptiacus Abdallah & Saad
2Convolvulus cancerianus Abdallah & Saad
3Convolvulus evolvuloides Boiss.
4Convolvulus heterotrichus Maire
5Convolvulus parvifolius Spreng.
6Convolvulus scindicus Boiss.
7Convolvulus pluricaulis var. macra Clarke
8Convolvulus microphyllus Sieber ex Spreng.
9Convolvulus pluricaulis Choisy
10Convolvulus microphyllus var. boissieri C.B.Clarke
11Convolvulus austroaegyptiacus var. cancerianus (Abdallah & Saad) Alfarhan
12Convolvulus microphyllus var. macra (C.B.Clarke) Shiva Sharma & B.Tiagi
13Convolvulus prostratus var. boissieri (C.B.Clarke) Parmar
14Convolvulus prostratus var. deserti (Hochst. & Steud. ex Baker & Rendle) Parmar

Taxonomical information

KingdomViridiplantae
PhylumStreptophyta
ClassMagnoliopsida
OrderSolanales
FamilyConvolvulaceae
GenusConvolvulus
SpeciesConvolvulus prostratus Forssk.

Vernacular names

SanskritSankhpuspa, Sankhahva
EnglishAloe weed
HindiShankhapushpi
KannadaBilikantisoppu, Shankhapushpi, Shankhauli
MarathiSankhahuli, Shankhavela, Sankhapuspi
Malayalam
BengaliSankhapuspi
TamilKakattam, Kakkanangudi, Karakhuratt, Sanghupushpam
TeluguShankhapushpi
Urdu

Morphology

It is a perennial herb; branches are spreading on the ground and length is about 10-30 cm. Leaves are elliptic in the upper part, oblanceolate in the lower and length is about 2 mm, located at alternate positions with branches or flowers. Flowers are white to light pink in colour. Sepals narrowly, linear-lanceolate; corolla shortly discoid. Stamen 5, epipetalous, alternate with the petals. Ovary superior, and bicarpellary. Fruit is a capsule which has pale brown pericarp containing brown seeds

Distribution

It is found in India and Western tropical Africa. Within India, it has been distributed in Punjab, Bihar and Chhotanagpur

Medicinal uses

Mental disorders, epilepsy

References

1Mishra, S. H., and Sethiya, N. K. (2010). Review on ethnomedicinal uses and phytopharmacology of memory boosting herb 'Convolvulus pluricaulis' Choisy. Australian Journal of Medical Herbalism, 22, 19-25.
2Agarwa P, Sharma B, Fatima A, Jain SK. An update on Ayurvedic herb Convolvulus pluricaulis Choisy. Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine. 2014 Mar 1;4(3):245-52.
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