Plant description

Plant description

 

The plant is native to central and western India, tropical Africa and Australia. G. sylvestre (Asclepiadaceae), a vulnerable species is a slow growing, perennial, medicinal woody climber found in central and peninsular India. It is a potent antidiabetic plant and used in folk, ayurvedic and homeopathic systems of medicine. It is also used in the treatment of asthma, eye complaints, inflammations, family planning and snakebite. In addition, it possesses antimicrobial, antihypercholesterolemic, hepatoprotective and sweet suppressing activities. It also acts as feeding deterrents to caterpillar, Prodenia eridania; prevent dental caries caused by Streptococcus mutans and in skin cosmetics

G. sylvestre is a large, more or less pubescent, woody climber. It is occasionally cultivated as medicinal plant. Leaves are opposite, usually elliptic or ovate (1.25–2.0 inch × 0.5–1.25 inch). Flowers are small, yellow, in umbellate cymes. Follicles are terete, lanceolate, upto 3 inches in length.


Other Names

Sanskrit: Meshashringi, madhunashini,    

Hindi: Gur-mar, merasingi,

Marathi: Kavali, kalikardori, vakundi,  

Gujrathi: Dhuleti, mardashingi,

Telugu: Podapatri, 

Sinhala: Masbedda, 

Tamil: Adigam, cherukurinja,

Kannada: Sannagerasehambu