Dasapushpam

Dasapushpam (from Sanskrit dasa, meaning 'ten', and pushpam, meaning 'flower'), or the ten sacred flowers of Kerala, are ten herbs traditionally significant to Keralites, the people of Kerala, India. These herbs are found almost everywhere in Kerala, especially in the Western Ghats region.[1] They are used for decorative purposes, such as making the floral carpet pookalam during festivals like Onam.[2]

These ten flowers are also used to prepare folk medicines in Kerala. Some people use fenugreek, while others use dasapushpam and other herbs.[3]

List

The ten plants are:[1]

Common nameBinomial nameMalayalam nameImage
Slender dwarf morning-gloryEvolvulus alsinoides[4]വിഷ്ണുക്രാന്തി (Vishnukranthi)
Indian doab or Bahama grassCynodon dactylonകറുക (Karuka)
lilac tasselflowerEmilia sonchifoliaമുയൽ ചെവിയൻ (Muyal cheviyan)
Morning gloryIpomoea sepiaria[5]തിരുതാളി (Thiruthaali)
Mountain knotgrassAerva lanataചെറുള (cheroola)
Golden eye-grassCurculigo orchioidesനിലപ്പന (Nilappana)
False daisyEclipta albaകയ്യോന്നി(Kayyonni)
Little ironweedCyanthillium cinereum[6]പൂവാംകുറുന്നില (Poovaamkurunnila)
Biophytum sensitivumBiophytum sensitivumമുക്കുറ്റി (Mukkutti)
Balloon plantCardiospermum halicacabumഉഴിഞ്ഞ (Uzhinja)

Although the Malayalam names refer to the flowers, the medicinal value lies in the leaves in most cases.

Ipomoea sepiaria

Extracts of Ipomoea sepiaria leaves feature antimicrobial activity. The extract was tested on bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 K. Jiny Varghese; J. Anila; R. Nagalekshmi; S. Resiya; J. Sonu (2010). "Dasapushpam: The Traditional Uses And The Therapeutic Potential Of Ten Sacred Plants Of Kerala State In India" (PDF). International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research. 1 (10): 50–59.
  2. ↑ http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/athappookalam-losing-traditional-verve/article173569.ece
  3. ↑ Dasapushpam as ingredient for folk medicine
  4. ↑ evolvulus alsinoides
  5. ↑ Ipomoea sepiaria
  6. ↑ Cyanthillium cinereum
  7. ↑ Antimicrobial activity of Ipolmoea sepiaria
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