activity.
Dosage Leaf—3—6 g (API, Vol III); whole plant—10—20 ml Juice (API, Vol. IV).
Spilanthes calva DC.
Synonym S. acmella auct. non (L.)
Murr.
S. paniculata auct. non-DC.
S. pseudoacmella auct. non (L.)
Murr.
Family Asteraceae.
Habitat Tropical and sub-tropical parts of India, in waste places and open moist fields.
English Paracress.
Ayurvedic Marahattikaa.
Folk Marethi, Desi Akarkaraa.
Action Plant—antidysenteric.
Decoction, diuretic and lithotriptic, also used in scabies and psoriasis. Seeds—used in xerostomia, throat infections and neurological affection of tongue. Root—purgative.
Whole plant gave alpha-and betaamyrin ester, myricyl alcohol, stigmasterol and its glucoside. A tincture made from flower heads is used as a substitute for the tincture of pyrethrum to treat inflammation of jaw-bones and caries.
Spilanthes oleracea Murr.
Ethanolic extracts of the herb were found to affect the blood pressure of dogs and cats, and also the isolated ileum of guinea pigs. Spilanthol, obtained from the ether as well as pentane extracts, shows a strong sialogogic action, acts as a local anaesthetic and a powerful insecticide.
Spilanthes oleracea Murr.
Family Compositae; Asteraceae.
Habitat Introduced from Brazil; often cultivated in Indian gardens.
English Brazilian Cress, Para Cress. Ayurvedic Mahaaraashtri, Marethi,
Desi Akarkaraa. Aakaarakarabha of Ayurvedic medicine and
Aaqarqarha of Unani medicine is equated with Anacyclus pyrethrum
DC. (root is used); S. acmella and S. oleracea flowering heads are used as Desi Akarkaraa and should
