Fabaceae / Papilionaceae

Solanaceae
Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal
(Syn: Physalis somnifera L.)
English name:
Local name: Sindhi-Aksan,
Jangli lyaar, Asgand
Description:
Asuffruticose evergreen low shrub with the height range of 60-75 cm tall. Leaves thin ovate,
usually two at each node. Flowers sub-sessile, greenish-yello, in clusters in leaf axils. Fruit
globose, red when ripe, enclosed in enlarged calyx.
Flowering Period:
Mostly throughout the year.
Habitat:
Common throughout in waste places.
Uses:
The plant parts have alkaloids with sedative properties;
the root is used in rheumatism and debility. The leaves are
used in fevers; a concoction of roots is useful for ulcers,
boils. The fruit’s poisonous, may be lethal for children.
Roots are reported to be effective in treating leucoderma,
constipation, tissue building, and nervous breakdown.
The herb helps to cure female sterility. Powder of the
root in 6 gm doses can be taken with milk for 5-6 successive
nights after menstruation. The leaves of the plant are
beneficial in treating several skin diseases.
Distribution:
Canary Islands, Mediterranean, Africa, Iraq, Southern Iran,
Syria, Turkey, Palestine, Arabia, Pakistan and India.
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