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Sneeze Wort
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Sneeze Wort
ative Photo: Dinesh Valke
Common name: Sneeze Wort, Cotton milk plant, Green milkweed climber, Green wax flower, Sneezing silk • Assamese: হেমজিৱন্তি লতা hemajivanti lata, খামাল লতা khamal lata, ছাগলী শিঙিয়া লতা sagoli shingiya lata • Bengali: যুক্তি ফুল jukti phul, তিতাকুঞ্জ লতা titakunga lata • Gujarati: હીરનડોડી hirandodi, કડવી ડોડી kadavi dodi, કડવો ખરખોડો kadavo kharkhodo, માલતી malati, મ્હોટી ડોડી mhoti dodi, વિષમુષ્ઠી vishamushti • Hindi: अकड़ बेल akad bel, हरणडोडी harandodi, नकछिकनी nakchhikni • Kachchhi: ડોરીવલ dorival • Kannada: ಹೆಗಲ ಸಪ್ಪು hegala sappu, ಕಾಡು ಹಾಲೆ ಬಳ್ಳಿ kaadu haale balli • Konkani: आंब्री ambri • Malayalam: കൊടിപ്പാല kotippala, വട്ടകാക്കക്കൊടി wattakakka-k-koti • Marathi: हरणदोडी harandodi, हरिणवेल harinvel, नखसिकणी nakhasikani • Sanskrit: बहुपर्णी bahuparni, बहुवल्ली bahuvalli, दीर्घपत्त्रा dirghapattra, हेमा hema, हेमाह्वा hemahva, हेमजीवन्ती hemajivanti, हेमक्षीरी hemakshiri, हेमलता hemalata, हेमपुष्पी hemapushpi, हेमवल्ली hemavalli, हिमाश्रया himashraya, हिमवती himavati, जीवदात्री jivadatri, जीवन्ती jivanti, क्षुपडोडमुष्टि kshupadodamushti, मधुरसा madhurasa, मधुस्रव madhusrava, मङ्गल्यनामध्स्या mangalyanamadhsya, मोरटा morata, मूर्वा murva, शाकश्रेष्ठ shakashreshtha, शार्ङ्गेष्टा sharngeshta, सुजीवन्ती sujivanti, सुमङ्गला sumangala, सुमुष्टिका sumushtika, सुपर्णक suparnaka, सुवालुका suvaluka, स्वर्णजीवा svarnajiva, स्वर्णजीवन्तिका svarnajivantika, स्वर्णलता svarnalata, स्वर्णपर्णी svarnaparni, तृणग्रन्थि trinagranthi • Tamil: அங்காரவல்லி ankara-valli, சிங்கிரம் cinkiram, சிங்கிட்டம் cinkittam, சிவந்தி civanti, கொடிப்பாலை koti-p-palai, குறிஞ்சா kurinca, குடசப்பாலை kutaca-p-palai, நஞ்சறப்பாய்ஞ்சான் nancara-p-payncan, பாலைக்கொடி palai-k-koti, பாலொடுவை pal-otuvai, பெருங்குறிஞ்சா perunkurincha, வனதித்தம் vana-tittam • Telugu: దూదిపాలతీగ dudipalatiga • Tulu: ಎರ್ಮೆ ತಜಂಕ್ erme thajanku, ಪುಗೆಲ್ ತಪ್ಪು pugel thappu, ಪೆತ್ತ ತಜಂಕ್ pettha thajank • Urdu: نکچهکني nakchikni Source: Names of Plants in India
Botanical name: Marsdenia volubilis    Family: Apocynaceae (Oleander family)
Synonyms: Asclepias volubilis, Dregea volubilis, Wattakaka volubilis
Sneeze Wort is a stout, smooth, hoary, or mealy, woody vine. The leaves are ovate, or somewhat rounded, 7.5-15 centimeters long, 5-10 centimeters wide, rather leathery, rounded or pointed at the base, and pointed at the tip. Flower cymes are axillary or interpetiolar, and umbellike. The flowers are green or yellowish green, about 1 cm across, fragrant. The follicles long, turgid, longitudinally ribbed, and velvety until mature. The seeds are elliptic, concave, smooth, shining, sharp-edged, and crowned with very fine, white, silky hairs. Flowering: April-September.
Medicinal uses: The leaves are much employed as an application to boils and abscesses. The roots and tender stalks are considered emetic and expectorant. The young roots are cut and the exuding juice is inserted into the nose to cause sneezing.
Identification credit: Dinesh Valke Photographed at Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra.
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