Kshavak

BOTANICAL NAME: Centipeda minima

FAMILY: Asteraceae

CLASSICAL CLASSIFICATION:

Bhavaprakasha nighantu– Guduchyadi varga

ENGLISH NAME: Sneeze wort

COMMON NAME:

Hindi: Nakachikani

Bengali: Mechetha

HABITAT: Centipeda minima is an annual herb, found in wide range of habitats, including growing in wet places, marshy banks, sometimes found submerged in shallow water and rice fields. Also found all over waste grounds and roadsides, growing in terrestrial area and freshwater areas.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION: Leaves are sessile oblong-obovate to spatulate, glabrescent to moderately cottony, Inflorescence of sessile- sub sessile discoid, solitary heads of 0.25-0.5 cm diam. In volucre bracts are 2-seriate and ovate-spathulate. Female corollas 0.2-0.4 mm. Bisexual florets 8-14, often purplish. Achenes narrowly cuneate, 0.6-1 mm, tipped with persistent style, angles 4 or 5, with short, ascending bristles.

MAJOR CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS: Plant contains myrioginin, uinicacid, tricin

THERAPEUTIC USES:

• Kasa – Ashoka seed, kshavaka, vayavidanga, rasanjana, padmakh, bidd namak are processed with ghrita or the churna of these dravya taken with ghrita
• Rhinitis– Nasya of kshavaka churna and saindhava with ghrita or with oil should be given on the maturity of vataja pratishyaya.
• Eye disorders- Infusion is effective for ophthalmia. This is also used as antiseptic

INDICATIONS:

Kushtha skin diseases, krimi worm infestation , vaatrakta gout.

USEFUL PART: Seeds

DOSAGE: seed1-3gm

AYURVEDIC FORMULATION:

1. Agurwadi taila
2. Pradhamana churna
3. Twagadi taila