Habit : A prickly shrub or undershrub, prickles slightly recurved, thick yellow with stem prickly, often purple, densely stellate tomentose.
Leaves : Ovate, subentire or irregularly dentate, apex acute, base cuneate and often unequal-sided, prickly along the nerves, upper side clothed with simple and stellate hairs, stellate hairs on the lower side, petiolate, prickly hairy.
Calyx stellate hairy, teeth triangular corolla 10-13 mm long, purple in colour, limb 15-25 mm in diameter, stellate, tomentose outside along the midpetaline bands ovary and style stellate hairy.
Fruit : Globose, 7-10 mm in diameter, orange, glabrous.
Flowering and Fruiting Time : August - November
Significance :
Roots is carminative and expectorant, useful in coughs and catarrhal affections, dysuria and colic.
A decoction of root is prescribed as a tonic and is also used in difficult parturition.
Root is pounded and used for the treatment of nasal ulcers.
Roots are useful in dyspepsia and rheumatism.
Dry leaves are smoked to cure asthma and bronchitis. It is also useful for toothache.
Root is hot in nature and it cures cough, rheumatism, fevers, leucoderma, anorexia, vomiting, asthma, worms and chest diseases.
