Indian birthwort : Aristolochia indica

Aristolochia indica

Flora Description:

Perennial herbs or shrubs, twining or prostrate, rarely erect. Leaves entire or lobed, 3-7-nerved with a usually dilated petiole, exstipulate but often with an undeveloped axillary stipule-like leaf (pseudostipule). Inflorescence solitary, axillary or in short fascicled racemes. Perianth zygomorphic or actinomorphic, coloured, tubular, tube inflated below, hairy inside, limb oblique, (1-)2 (-3)-lipped. Stamens (5-) 6 or multiples of these with sessile anthers. Ovary 5-6-celled; placentation parietal or axile; ovules many, anatropous, biseriate; style divided into 3,5 or 6 linear or obtuse lobes. Seeds ± compressed, usually winged all around.

Medicinal Properties and Uses:

1. Crushed vegetative parts applied externally for snakebites.
2. Leaf paste applied on boils, wounds, snakebites. 
3. Fresh or dried leaves chewed and swallowed for asthma. 
4. Leaf decoction febrifuge, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal, antifertility, antineoplastic. 
5. Root paste given orally in headache, snakebites, scorpion stings, fever, flatulence, intestinal disorders, dysentery and diarrhea, in addition the paste is applied on forehead for headache and in rash. 
6. Root powder used in abortion. 
7. Root juice given for rheumatism. 
8. Stem bark of Sida cordifolia, crushed with root of Aristolochia indica, tubers of Cyperus scariosus, whole plant of Selaginella bryopteris and Phyllanthus fraternus made into pills taken to cure epileptic attacks. 
9. Tuberous roots crushed and applied on the body for itching and given as an antidote for snakebite. Combination with pepper and ginger used for fever in children. 
10. Dried fruit kept in water for overnight, drops of this water put in each nostrils to get relief from jaundice. 
11. Veterinary medicine, leaves with pepper and garlic boiled in water and given in insect bites.
12. Roots along with stem of Tinospora cordifolia pounded, boiled in water and the decoction given in insect bite.

Chemicals:

Aristolochic acid I, Hinokinin, Aristolindiquinone, Ledol, 5beta,10alpha-Eudesma-4(14),11-diene, (-)-Aristolochene, Ishwarane, Ishwarol, Ishwarone, Isoishwarone, 7,12-Seco-12-ishwaranol, (-)-Curine.

Common Names:

in English: Indian birthwort
in India: aadutheendapalai, aattukottappala, adagam, ahiganda, ahigandha, amutakkoti, arkamula, arkmul, arkmula, arumaruntu, arumaruntukkoti, atakakkoti, atakam, bara okhat, batilah, bhedi janetet, bhedijanete, cakati, cakatikkoti, calamiyakkoti, calamiyam, cankaimuli, cantanakarani, cantanaparani, cantanaparanikkoti, caracurati, carakati, carankateci, carcukati, carcuvatikkoti, careloe-vegon, carelvevegm, carucukati, cavakkilanku, cemparuntu, cemparuntukkoti, cilaimeluku, cilantikkoti, cinappa, citanakakkoti, citanakam, civamuli, corikanti, curuli, cutuvalli, doolaagovela, doolagovila, dula govela, dulagovela, easwaramuli, ech-chura-muli, eeshvaramulla, eeshvari baeru, eeshvari balli, eeshwari beru, eeshwarn, eesvurberus, eeswaramoolli, emmekolagodai, errakalabanda, eshwaramuli, eshwari, eswaramulla, eswaramulli, eswari, eswari beru, ettakalabanda, gandhanakuli, garalavegam, garalika, garudakkoti, garudakodi, garudi, ghungurbadh, gopaala putti thoppalu, gopalaputti thoppalu, gopalaputtitoppalu, gopataputtitoppalu, govila, gunesar, hari, hukka-bel, huring nagbail, icatecatti, iccuramuli, iccuraver, iccuvaramuli, ich-churamuli, ichchuramula, ichura, icuracuruli, icuracurulikkoti, icurakkovai, icuramaruntu, icuramuli, icuraver, icuvara muli, ikali, ikkuramulli, isadesatti, isaraber, isaraberu, isarmool, isarmul, isharmul, isharmul-ki-jar, ishermul, ishvara, ishvara-muri, ishvaraberu, ishvaramuli, ishvaramulla, ishvaramuri, ishvariberu, ishveraveru, ishwar mool, ishwaramooli, ishwari, ishwariberu, ishwarmul, israul, isura, isuramuli, isuraver, isvara, isvara ven, isvaraballi, isvaraberu, isvaramula, isvaramuli, isvaramulla, isvaramurri, isvaravaeru, isvaraveru, isvari, isvariberu, isvarmul, iswari (= having the power to neutralize the poison), iswarmul, itavam, itikam, iyavari, jovari, kadalivegam, kadula, kakapati, kakapatikkoti, kalesar, karalakam, karalakam pacha, karalayam, karaleka, karalvekam, karendavalli, karrukitakkoti, karrukitam, karudakkodi, karukappullu, karukkapallu, karukkapullu, karuta-k-koti, karutacopitakkoti, karutakacopitam, karutakkoti, karutakkoticci, karutankilanku, katalivegam, kerutakkoti, kidamar, kiramar, kirttikkodi, kodula, kopakkari, koracanti, koticcinkeri, kovakkari, kunnam, kuppalai, kutanayakakkoti, kutanayakam, latbargo, malaiccevikam, malaiccevitakkoti, mucurumuli, nakakeli, nakatamaniyam, nakateni, nakkeni, nakkeni, nakuleshtha, nakuli, nalla eshwari, nalla yisvari, nanjina baeru, natanakkarumuli, navanitapani, nella eeshvari, neya, palvarrippaluttan, palvattippaluttan, panikodi, paravaiventankoti, pasanameluku, pelivalamuli, periyanitam, periyatitakkoti, peru-kizhangu, peru-marindu, perumanthikodi, perumarindu, perumarundoo, perumarundhu, perumarundu, perumarundu kodi, perumarunna, perumarunnu, perumaruntu, perumuli, perunkilanku, perunkilannu, perunkilanu, perunkizhangu kodi, perunkizhannu, perunkotimuli, pokkalam, pokkalankoti, pokkanam, pokkinattuppi, rasna, rudrajata, saapasan, sapasan, sapsanda, sapshi, sapsund, sapus, sunanda, sunandahari, tacimantapputu, talaccuruli, talai-ccuruli, talai curuli-p-puntu, talaiccurul, talaiccuruli, talaiccurulivalli, talaiccurulvalli, talaiccuruni, talaiccutuvalli, talaicutuvalli, talaicutuvallikkoti, taparavakoti, taparavam, taracikakkoti, taracikam, taracu-k-koti, taracukkoti, taratikkoti, tella eswari, thalai churuli vaer, thella usirika, thoppalu, urukodi, uruttirapuntu, utirakkutori, vallikkoti, vallimoti, yicuramulikkoti, zaravande-hindi

Scientific Names (Synonyms):

Aristolochia indica L. 

Aristolochia indica var. lanceolata (Wight) Duch. 

Aristolochia indica var. magna Benth. 

Aristolochia indica var. oxyphylla Duch.