Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants
Acanthus ilicifolius
Family: Acanthaceae (Barleria family)
Genus: Acanthus
Botanical name: Acanthus ilicifolius
PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
Sanskrit: Harikusa
Hindi: Harkata
English: Sea Holly, Holly-leaved Acanthus, Holly Mangrove
Malayalam: Chakaramullu, Chulli, Chullikkantal, Payingngaachchulli
Genus: Acanthus
Botanical name: Acanthus ilicifolius
PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
Sanskrit: Harikusa
Hindi: Harkata
English: Sea Holly, Holly-leaved Acanthus, Holly Mangrove
Malayalam: Chakaramullu, Chulli, Chullikkantal, Payingngaachchulli
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Sea Holly is an erect prickly shrub, up to 1.5 m high, in clumps. Leaves 15 cm long, oblong or elliptic, pinnatifid or toothed, rigid with sharp spinous teeth on the margin. Flowers blue, in terminal interrupted spikes, 10-40.6 cm long. Capsules 3.7 by 1 cm, ovate-oblong.
The root of chakaramuylli used in cough and asthma. Leaves are used as fomentation in rheumatism and neuralgia. As a stimulant the decoction of plant with sugar candy and cumin is given in dyspepsia.