Elephantopus scaber - Gojivha - ആനച്ചുവടി

Botanical Name :

Elephantopus scaber L.

Family :

Asteraceae 

Vernacular Names :

Malayalam : Anayatiyan, Aana chuvadi - ആനച്ചുവടി
English : Elephant Foot, Prickly-leaved elephant's foot, Bull's Tongue, Ironweed 
Sanskrit : Go jihwikaa, Gobhi, Dhaavika, Khara parnninee, Gojivha - गोजिह्वा 
Hindi : Gobhi, Ban tambakhu - बन तम्बाखू  

Bengali : Gojiyalatha, Hasti pod - হস্ী পদ 

Tamil : Aana shavadi, Anashovadi

Gujarathi : Hasthi paadh

Kannada : Hakkarike

Telugu : Enugabira, Hasthika shaakha

Marathi : Hastipatha - हस्तीपात  

Plant Description : 

Elephant Foot is a rather coarse, rigid, erect, hairy herb 30 to 60 cm high. 

Stems forked, and stiff. 

Leaves are mostly in basal rosette and oblong-ovate to oblong-lancelike, 10-25 cm in length and often very much notched on the margins. 

Those on the stem few and much smaller. 

Purple flowers are 8-10 mm long. Each head comprises about 4 flowers. Flowering heads borne in clusters at the end of the branches and usually enclosed by 3 leaf-like bracts which are ovate to oblong-ovate, 1 to 1.5 cm long, and heart-shaped at the base. The flowering heads many-crowded in each cluster. 

Fruits are achenes, ribbed. 

Pappus from 4 to 6 mm long with rigid ristles.

Chemical Composition :  

Deoxyelephantopin, molephantinin, phantomolin, p-amyrin acetate, crepiside E. deacylcynaropicrin, 11,13-dihydrodeoxy-elephantopin, dihydroelephantopin, elephantin, elephantopin, epifriedelanol, glucozaluzanin-C, isodeoxyelephantopin, lupeol, lupeol acetate, molephantin, nudaphantin, stigmasterol, stigmasteryl 3-p-glucopyranoside. 

Rasaadhi Gunaas :

Rasa : Madhuram, Thiktham

Guna : Lakhu, Snigdham

Veeryam : Sheetham

Vipakam : Madhuram

Useful Parts :

Whole plant - Samoolam 

Indications : 

01. Vata pitta hara

02. Produces Mala bandha

03. Regulates body temperature
04. Visha hara - Poison
05. Kasa hara- cough
06. Hridhroga hara - Heart diseases
07. Dysuria

08. Diarrhoea

09. Dysentery

10. Swellings 

11. Stomach pain

12. Root is prescribed to prevent vomiting 

13. Eczema and ulcers

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