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Aerva lanata
3-663.57.00English: Mountain knotgrass.
Region: Africa, Madagascar, Rodrigues, Mauritius, Socotra, Middle East, India, southeast Asia.
Habitat: prefers damper sites; open forests on mountain slopes; on waste and disturbed ground, deserted cultivation and coastal scrub; altitudes from sea level to 900 m.
Genus: 11 species.
Culture: included in Dasapushpam, the ten sacred flowers of Kerala.
Use: plant, leaves for food for people and animals; leaves are for soup, as spinach, vegetable; talisman against evil spirits, for good-luck for hunters, for the well-being of widows; dried flowers are sold as Buikallan and Boor.BotanyWoody, prostrate or succulent, perennial herb; common weed.
Root: woody; branching; camphor-like aroma.
Stems: mostly straggling, sprawling, spread widely; up to 2 m long.
Leaves: stalkless; alternate; oval; 13 to 38 mm long; whitish papery stipules with two lobes and red bases.
Inflorescence: tiny clusters of two or three flowers; in leaf axils.
Flowers: 2.5 mm long, pink, green or dull white; self-pollinated; flowering from May to October.
Region: Africa, Madagascar, Rodrigues, Mauritius, Socotra, Middle East, India, southeast Asia.
Habitat: prefers damper sites; open forests on mountain slopes; on waste and disturbed ground, deserted cultivation and coastal scrub; altitudes from sea level to 900 m.
Genus: 11 species.
Culture: included in Dasapushpam, the ten sacred flowers of Kerala.
Use: plant, leaves for food for people and animals; leaves are for soup, as spinach, vegetable; talisman against evil spirits, for good-luck for hunters, for the well-being of widows; dried flowers are sold as Buikallan and Boor.BotanyWoody, prostrate or succulent, perennial herb; common weed.
Root: woody; branching; camphor-like aroma.
Stems: mostly straggling, sprawling, spread widely; up to 2 m long.
Leaves: stalkless; alternate; oval; 13 to 38 mm long; whitish papery stipules with two lobes and red bases.
Inflorescence: tiny clusters of two or three flowers; in leaf axils.
Flowers: 2.5 mm long, pink, green or dull white; self-pollinated; flowering from May to October.