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Botanical name: Zygophyllum indicum Family: Zygophyllaceae (Caltrop family)
Synonyms: Fagonia indica, Fagonia parviflora, Fagonia mysorensis Indian Fagonia is a small spiny shrub, covered with
whitish powdery or stalkless glands or hairless shrublet. Stem basally
somewhat woody, branches procumbent or erect, cylindrical, striped,
internodes 2.5-5 cm long. Leaves mostly simple or basal ones
trifoliolate and upper simple, leaflets linear-oblong or lanceshaped,
6-35 mm long, 3-4 mm broad, mucronate, short to long leaf-stalkd or
stalkless; stipular spines awl shaped, patent to ascending, equal to
shorter than leaves, occasionally deficient or minute. Flowers are
about 1.2 cm across, pinkish-purple; flower-stalk 4-6 mm long. Sepals
ovate, about 3-4 mm long, about 1.5 mm broad, glandular outside,
pointed, persistent. Petals are spoon-shaped, about 6 mm long, about 3
mm broad, blunt. Stamens with about 6 mm long filaments. Capsules are
3-4 mm long and broad, velvet-hairy, stalk equal to about twice as long
as fruit. Indian Fagonia is found in Indo-Pakistan subcontinent
westwards to North and East tropical Africa in arid and semi-arid
regions.
Medicinal uses: The aqueous decoction of aerial parts of the plant is a popular remedy against various skin lesions, including cancer, in folk medicine.
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