English: Large Cattrops; Aananjerinjil.
Synonyms: Pedalium microcarpum; Pedalium muricatum; Rogeria microcarpa.
Sanskrit: Brihat Gokshru, Gaja Daunstree, Kshouraka, Trikantaka, Gokantaka, Swadukantaka, Bhakshantaka
Hindi: Bara Gokhru, Bada Gokshru, Kadva Gokhru, Pila gokhru, Vilayati gokhru.
Bengali: Baraghokru, Barogokhur
Marathi: Hatticharatte, Mothe Gokharu, Moto
Gujarati: Motto Gokharu, Kadvaghokru, Mothan Gokhru
Oriya: Gokara, Gokshur
Panjabi: Gokru Kalan
Telugu: Enugupalleru, Pedda Palleru, Kaitu neinjil
Tamil: Anainerinji, Anai nerunji, Peru Nerunji Ananerinnil
Arabic: Khasake-Kabir
Persian: Khasake-Kalan
Burmes: Sulegi
Singapor: Ati neranchi
Siddha: Peru-neranji, Annaineringi
Urdu: Farid Booti / Buti
Unani: Khaar-e-khasak Kalan, Gokharu Kalaan
Genus: 1 species.
Region: tropical Africa, Ghana to Somalia, eastern Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique; east Asia, India, Sri Lanka to Indonesia.
Habitat: dry, hot, coastal areas; dry, open, sandy, degraded sites, near the sea; tolerating salt.
Content: alkaloids; greenish fatty oil; flavonoids, alkaloids, steroids, resins, saponins, protein; dinatoin glycoside, diosmetin glucuronides; herman, phytosterols, tannins; reducing sugars, phenolic compounds, xanthoproteins, alkaloids, triterpenoids; aromatic oil, resins, glycosides, carbohydrates; nonacosane, tritriacontane, triacontanoic acid, sitosterol-beta-D-glucoside, rubusic acid, luteolin; dinatin, quercetin, quercetin-7-glucoside.
Cultural: spined fruits are the cause of many wounds to the feet.
Use: leaves, mucilaginous, cooked as a vegetable; medicinal.
BotanyHerb; annual; fleshy; slightly succulent; 50 to 70 cm tall; foetid.
Root: white; emit musk like sweet aroma.
Stem: erect to ascending, 10 to 75 cm tall, slightly succulent, highly branched; more or less prostrate, covering an area up to 1 metre in diameter.
Leaves: oblong to elliptical; 5 cm long, 3 cm wide; rounded or truncated at the apex; petiole 5 to 35 mm long; fleshy; simple; opposite; alternate; ovate-oblong; ± 4 by 2 cm; when agitated in cold water turn into tasteless, colorless thick mucilage.
Inflorescence: axillary, and terminal.
Flowers: calyx is deeply 5 lobed; corolla is yellow, tubular, round lobes; stamens are four.
Fruits: bluntly four angled; with stout, sharp, conical horizontal spines from the angles.