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Sticky Desmodium
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Sticky Desmodium
ative Photo: S. Kasim
Common name: Sticky Desmodium, viscid pseudarthria • Hindi: चपकनो chapakno • Kannada: ಅಂಟುಬೆಳೆ ಗಿಡ antubele gida, ಅಂಟುಪರ್ಣಿ antuparni, ಮೂವಿಲೆ moovile • Malayalam: മൂവില moovila, ശലപർണി salaparni • Marathi: चिकटा chikta • Sanskrit: पृष्णिपर्णी prsniparni, शालपर्णी salaparni • Tamil: மூவிலை பச்சிலை muvilai-paccilai, மூவிலைப்புன்னை muvilai-p-punnai, நீர்மல்லி nirmalli • Telugu: మూయక muyak, ముయ్యాకు పొన్న muyyakuponna, నయాకు పొన్న nayakuponna • Tulu: ಮೂಜಿರೆ moojire Source: Names of Plants in India
Botanical name: Pseudarthria viscida    Family: Fabaceae (Pea family)
Synonyms: Hedysarum viscidum, Desmodium timoriense, Desmodium viscidum auct. non DC.

Sticky Desmodium is a perennial under shrub which grows all over India up to 1000 m altitude. It attains the height about 60-120 cm. The branches are slender and covered with minute white hair. The leaves are 7.5-15 cm long and 2.5-5 cm broad, trifoliate, ovate-oblong, hairy and densely grey-silky beneath. The flowers purplish or pink, in 15-30 cm long axillary racemes. The fruits, pods, oblong, flattened, covered with sticky hairs. The seeds 4-6, compressed and brownish black in color. The plant flowers in May.
Medicinal uses: The whole plant of salaparni is used for medicinal purpose in Ayurvedic medicine. The herb is seldom used externally. Internally it is useful in vast range of diseases. It is used in the treatment for asthma and nervous dysfunction. It is also used in the treatment of insect bites and used against inflammations, vomiting, etc.

Identification credit: S. Kasim Photographed in Maharashtra.

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