Achyranthes Aspera

Plant Name: Achyranthes Aspera

English Name: Prickly Chaff-flower.

Local Name: Onga, koriente, Chirchita, Latjira.

Family: Amaranthaceae

Uses:

It is bitter, stomachic, pungent, heating, laxative, carminative and useful in treatment of vomiting, ascites, bronchitis, heart disease, blood diseases dysentery, piles, itching abdominal
pains, dyspepsia.

It is used in the treatment of dropsy, rheumatism, stomach problems, cholera, skin diseases and rabies. The juice extracted from the root of this plant, mixed with the root of Urena lobata and the bark of Psidium guajava, is used in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery.

The plant is astringent, digestive, diuretic, laxative, purgative and stomachic.
The juice of the plant is used in the treatment of boils, diarrhoea, dysentery, haemorrhoids, rheumatic pains, itches and skin eruptions. The ash from the burnt plant, often mixed with mustard oil and a pinch of salt, is used as a tooth powder for cleaning teeth. It is believed to relieve pyorrhea and toothache. The leaf is emetic and a decoction is used in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery. A paste of the leaves is applied in the treatment of rabies, nervous
disorders, hysteria, insect and snake bites.