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Ringed Swallow-Wort
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Ringed Swallow-Wort
ative Photo: Pravin Kawale
Common name: Ringed Swallow-Wort, Holostemma Creeper •• Assamese: জীৱন্তী ফুল Jivanti Phula • Gujarati: અર્કપુષ્પી Arkapushpi, ખણેર Khaner, ખીરણ Khiran, ખીરદોડી Khirdodi, ખીરવેલ Khirvel • Hindi: अर्कपुष्पी Arkapushpi, छिरवेल Chirvel • Kannada: ಅರಣೆ ಬೀಳು Arane Beelu, ಜೀವ ಹಾಲೆ Jeevahaale, ಜೀವಂತಿ Jeevanthi • Konkani: करबफूल Karabphul • Malayalam: അടകൊതിയൻ Atakothiyan, അടപതിയൻ Adapathiyan, ജീവനി Jeevani, മധുസ്രവ Madhusrava, നാഗവല്ലി Nagavalli • Marathi: चिरवेल Chirvel, शिदोडी Shidodi • Nepali: जिवन्ती Jiwantee • Sanskrit: जीवन्ती Jivanti • Santali: ᱟᱹᱯᱩᱝ Apung, ᱢᱩᱨᱚᱱ ᱟᱲᱟᱜ Mouron Arak • Tamil: பலைக்கீரை Palaikkirai • Telugu: బండి గురివింద Bandi-Gurivinda, దూది పాల తీగ Dudi Paala Thige, పాల గురుగు Paala Gurugu, పాల జిల్లేడు Paala Jilledu, పాల గురుజి Pala Gurji, పెయ్యిబడ్డు Peyyi Baddu • Tulu: ಅರಣೆ ಬೂರು Arane Booru Source: Names of Plants in India
Botanical name: Cynanchum annularium    Family: Apocynaceae (Oleander family)
Synonyms: Holostemma ada-kodien, Asclepias annularia, Holostemma annulare
Ringed Swallow-Wort is a handsome, extensive, laticiferous, twining shrub with large conspicuous flowers. The bark is deeply cracked. The leaves are ovate to heart-shaped, 5-12 × 2-8 cm, coriaceous, acute, smooth above, and finely pubescent. The flowers are greenish-yellow in color, purplish crimson inside, in lateral cymes. The petals are thick, typical of the milkweed family. Flowers are very fragrant. The central crown is edible. The fruits follicles sub-woody, 6-9 cm long, tapering and green. The roots are pretty long up to a meter or more in length, thick, cylindrical and irregularly twisted. It grows over hedges and in open forests especially on the lower slopes of hills. Ringed Swallow-Wort is found from the Indian Subcontinent to S. China, including the Himalayas. Flowering: April-September.
Medicinal uses: Mainly the roots and the whole plant are used for medicinal purposes. Externally the paste of its leaves and roots alleviate oedema due to vitiation of pitta dosa. The herb is beneficial for external use in various skin diseases, wounds and inflammation of the skin.
Identification credit: Nandan Kalbag Photographed in Maharashtra.
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