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Hogweed

Submitted by admin on 6 October 2025
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Scientific name
Boerhavia diffusa L.
English Name
Hogweed
Malayalam name
തഴുതാമ
Common name
Red spiderling

Description

  1. Habit :  Herb
  2. Habitat : Moist and dry deciduous forests and also in the plains 
  3. Leaves : unequal, ovate, obtuse, undulate along margins
  4. Flowers : red, pink or white, in axillary or terminal
How to use
  • Insomnia : Decoction of the drug is useful
  • Odema : Ghee prepared with decoction and paste of the plant is given
  • Enlargement of spleen : white variety of the plant is pounded with rice water and given.
  • Rheumatic arthritis : Root of the plant , kaempferia galanga , dry ginger made into a decoction. 
     
Uses

Insomnia, odema, enlargement of spleen, Rheumatic arthritis
 

Parts used
Whole plant, root, leaf
Conservation

Propagation & Cultivation

 It can be propagated from stem cuttings or seeds. For stem cuttings, take a 4-6 inch cutting from a healthy stem and place it in a pot filled with moist soil. Keep the soil consistently moist until roots develop. Seeds can be sown directly into the soil, and germination usually takes place within a few weeks.