Bio Diversity Park

Common Name : Chaff-flower, Devil's Horsewhip

Hindi Name : अपामार्ग | Scientific Name : Achyranthes aspera
Family : Amaranthaceae
Uses : It is used in the treatment of boils, asthma, in facilitating delivery, bleeding, bronchitis, debility, dropsy, cold, colic, cough, dog bite, snake bite, scorpion bite, dysentery, earache, headache, leukoderma, renal complications, pneumonia, and skin diseases.
Native: Southern Asia, Australia, and some Pacific Islands
General Description:

It is an erect or prostrate, annual or perennial herb, often with a woody base, which grows as wasteland herb everywhere. Stems are 0.4-2m in length, pilose or puberulent. Leaf blades are elliptic, ovate, or broadly ovate to orbiculate, obovate-orbiculate, or broadly rhombate, 1-20 × 2-6cm, adpressed-pubescent abaxially and adaxially. Inflorescences to 30cm; bracts membranous; bracteoles long-aristate, spinose; wings attached at sides and base. Flowers have 4 or 5 tepals, length is 3-7mm; pseudostaminodes with margins fimbriate at apex, often with dorsal scale.