Cock’s comb, erysipela plant, Indian heliotrope, scorpion weed, scorpion’s tail, turnsole, white clary, wild clary, Heliotropium indicum

Cock’s comb, erysipela plant, Indian heliotrope, scorpion weed, scorpion’s tail, turnsole, white clary, wild clary are the common names for Heliotropium indicum L. Its chemical constituents are: (-)-beta-Sitosterol, 24-Methylene cholesterol, Campesterol, Heliotrine, Indicine, Indicine N-oxide, Rapanone, Stigmasterol and Supinine. Other scientific Names include:

Eliopia riparia Raf.

Eliopia serrata Raf. 

Heliophytum indicum (L.) DC.

Heliotropium cordifolium Moench 

Heliotropium africanum Schumach. & Thonn.

Heliotropium foetidum Salisb. 

Heliotropium horminifolium Mill. 

Tiaridium indicum (L.) Lehm. 

Common Names:

in Honduras: borraja
in Cambodia: kantui damrey, promoi damrey
in China: da wei yao
in India: ajeru, alavancimuli, amarataru, anai vanaki, anaivanakki, anaiyatuvalanki, bena-patsja, bhoorundi,
bhurundi, burundi, callaki1, callakika, callakikacceti, callakikam, carucivappi, celubaladagidha, cetaipputu, chaelu baalada gida, chaelu kondi gida, chaelu mani, chaelubaala, chaeluvaali, chalukondee, chelu baalada gida, chelu kade, chelukondi gida, chelumani, ciruntotti, cirutetkotukku, civappuccaru, coratu, curapi, curapika, curapikacceti, duralabha, gurugalu gida, hanni gida, hanthisura, hastasunda (hasta, elephant; sunda, trunk), hastishundi, hastisunda, hastisundha, hathisunda, hathisundhana, hathisundi buti ka pani, hatisunada, hatisur, hatisura, hatisuria bon, hattajuri, hattajurie, hattasura, hatti sura, intirakali, ipatantam, kacapatciyai, kakkali, kakkalicceti, kakoli, kakolika, kamatutikam, karkkoli, karkkolikam, karkolicacceti, karkoni, karkonicceti, katiyavisatti, katutti, kidirkatom, kodikki, kotukku, kotuvisam, kulicam, leihenbi, macakoli, mammataki, mammatakicceti, mankaiyanatam, mationg-blang, naga danti, nagadanti, nakari, nakarikauli, nakatanti, nakir, nakiracceti, nakkaricceti, nakkipoo, nakkippu, narakanati, narakanaticceti, neyacitacceti, neyacitam, otamar, parppatanti, purunti, raktha gattualumu, soru, sorugatch, srihastini, suryavarta, tamiraputpikam, tayaikkonran, tekatai, tekkata, tekkita, tekutti, tekuttikai, tel-kodukki, telemudi, teliyenni, telkata, telkkata, telkodukkai, telkodukki, telkotukki, telkotukku, telkotukkucceti, telmani, telukkotti, tenkitacceti, tenkitam, tenkittam, tenkitti, terkkata, tetkataippun, tetkotukkucceti, tevatittara, thekkada, turamam, turmam, utti, utticceti, uttimaram, uttiram, vanaccetanki, venirpaccai, verirru, viruccika, viruccikakarani, viruccikapputu, viruccikayuttatu, viruccikkarani, viruccikotukkucceti, virutcikapputu, vrscikali (vrscika, scorpion), yanaivananki
in Indonesia: bandotan, buntut tikus, gajahan, sangketan, tulali gadjah, tusuk kondé
in Japan: nanban-ruri-sô
in Laos: nha nguong xang

in Malaysia: rumput ekor kuching, rumput ekur kuching, rumput kala jenkeng, rumput oleh
in Philippines: aposotes, buntot-leon, higad-higaran, hikawhikawan, hinla-layon, hinlalayon, ikog ikog sang kuti, ikoi pusa, kabra kabra, kambra-kabra, kambra-kambra, kutingkutingan, makabra, malakudkuran, peng-nga-peng-nga, penga penga, pengga-penga, pengnga, puntalefante, trompa elefante, trompa lipante, trompang elephante
in Thailand: ku-no kaa-mo, yaa nguang chaang, yaa nguang chaang noi
in Vietnam: c[aa]y v[of]i voi
in Nigeria: agogo igun, akuko dudu, akuko funfun, ikpugwu,
ogbe akuko, ogun, ukuevai

Floral Description:

Herbs annual, 20-50 cm tall. Stems erect, stout, much branched, strigose. Leaves alternate or subopposite; petiole 2-5 cm; leaf blade 3-9 × 2-4 cm, pubescent or strigose, base rounded or truncate, decurrent to petiole, margin undulate, apex acute; lateral veins 5-7 pairs. Cymes solitary, scorpioid, 5-15 cm, ebracteate. Flowers sessile, crowded. Calyx lobes lanceolate, 1.5-2 mm, strigose. Corolla light blue or blue-purple, salverform, 3-4 mm, base ca. 1 mm wide; throat contracted to ca. 0.5 mm; limb 2-2.5 mm wide; lobes rotund, ca. 1 mm wide, margin crispate. Anthers narrowly ovate, ca. 0.5 mm, inserted ca. 1 mm above base. Ovary glabrous. Style ca. 0.5 mm; stigma conical, pubescent. Fruit ribbed, 3-3.5 mm, glabrous or nearly so, deeply 2-cleft into mericarps each divided into 2 1-seeded pyrenes; mericarps longitudinally ribbed.

Medicinal Properties and Uses:

Plant used in rheumatism, eye diseseas, wounds; plant juice applied to reduce pain of snakebite, scorpion and insect stings; cooked plant for stomachache. Leaves vermifuge, febrifuge, eye lotion, wound dressing; leaf juice for skin and eye diseases, wounds, ulcers, boils, scabies, cuts, sores, cholera, convulsions, intestinal worms, scorpion sting. Flowers antimicrobial, astringent, emollient, emmenagogue, carcinogenic, antitumor, antipyretic and antiinflammatory; in large doses flowers cause abortion. Roots infusion taken for cold; root paste applied on the head and the juice is given internally when children are frightened due to thunder; freshly collected and crushed roots taken orally in scorpion bites; root crushed in water and paste applied on scorpion bite and snakebite. For the treatment of venereal diseases, diarrhea and vomiting in infants, on warts and in poultices to treat inflammatory diseases; a bath for skin conditions. For snakebite, seed crushed with jaggery, eaten. Veterinary medicine, leaves crushed with those of Crotalaria medicaginea, the juice rubbed over the body in babesiosis.