FoI
Bara Gokhru
Share Foto info
Bara Gokhru
ative Photo: Pravin Kawale
Common name: Large Caltrops, crow thorn, elephant caltrop • Arabic: Khasak-E-Kabir • Gujarati: ગોખરુ બોડું Gokharu Bodu, કડવા ગોખરુ Kadva Gokharu, મોટા ગોખરુ Mota Gokharu, ઉભા ગોખરુ Ubha Gokharu • Haryanvi: बडा गोखरू Bada Gokharu • Hindi: बडा गोखरू Bada Gokharu, दक्षिणी गोखरु Dakshini Gokharu, फ़रीद बूटी Farid Buti, कडवा गोखरू Kadva Gokharu • Kachchhi: કડુઆ ગોખરૂ Kadua Gokharu, ઉભેરા ગોખરૂ Ubhera Gokharu • Kannada: ಆನೆ ನೆಗ್ಗಿಲು Aane Neggilu, ದೊಡ್ಡ ನೆಗ್ಗಿಲು Dodda Neggilu, ದೊಡ್ಡ ನೀರಂಜಿ Dodda Niranji • Konkani: भरगोखरू Bhargokharu • Malayalam: ആനയിരുത്തിമുള്ള് Aanayiruthimullu, കാക്കമുള്ള് Kaakkamullu • Marathi: गोखरू Gokharu, हत्तीचराटे Hatticharate, माळवी गोखरू Malavi Gokharu, मोठा गोखरू Motha Gokharu • Odia: ଗୋକ୍ଷୁର Gokshura • Persian: Khasak-E-Kalan • Punjabi: ਗੋਖਰੂਕਲਨ Gokhrukalan • Rajasthani: बडा गोखुरू Bada Gokhuru • Sanskrit: बृहत् गोक्षुर Brihat Gokshura, तिक्त गोक्षुर Tikta Gokshura • Santali: बड़ा गोखुर Bara Gokhur • Tamil: ஆனைநெருஞ்சி Anai-Nerunci, காக்காய்முள் Kakkay-Mul, பெருநெருஞ்சி Peru-Nerunci • Telugu: ఏనుగు పల్లేరు Enugu Palleru, పల్లేరు Palleru • Tulu: ಆನೆನೇಗಿಲ್ Aanenegilu Source: Names of Plants in India
Botanical name: Pedalium murex     Family: Pedaliaceae (sesame family)
Large Caltrops is a shrubby, stiff-stemmed herb, native to India, grown for reputed medicinal and other uses. It is diffuse annual, much branched, spreading, succulent, glandular, up to 60 cm tall. Roots similar to turmeric in colour. Leaves simple, opposite, ovate or oblong-obovate, 1-4.5 cm long, irregularly and coarsely crenate-serrate. Yellow flowers 1.5-2 cm across, stalk 1-2 mm long, increasing up to 4 mm in fruit. Sepals 2 mm long; teeth linear, scaly outside, persistent. Petals fused into a broad tube, 1-3 cm long; lobes obtuse. Stamens 0.5-1 cm long; anthers kidney shaped. The four angled seed is with 5 extremely sharp spines. It is an important famine food - leaves eaten as vegetable.
Medicinal uses: Leaves are antibilious. Seeds are demulcant, diuretic, tonic, muscilaginous and aphrodesiac. Used in male impotence, gonorrhoea, and incontinence.
Identification credit: Pravin Kawale Photographed in Alibag, Maharashtra.
• Is this flower misidentified? If yes,