Did you know that Vishnu Krantha (Evolvulus alsinoides) plant, seen with it’s beautiful small blue or purple flowers on the road sides and waste lands throughout India, is mainly used as a home remedy for improving memory, reducing stress, to treat fevers, for hair growth and to treat wounds?
Vishnu Krantha with the scientific name Evolvulus alsinoides, is also known as Shankhpushpi (Blue pea flowers), Vishnukarandhi, Vishnu-kranta, Vishukarandi, Sankaholi, Morning-glory, dwarf Morning-glory, and slender dwarf Morning-glory, and Blue Daze flower. It has a natural pantropical distribution encompassing tropical and warm-temperate regions. This plant with it’s beautiful small purple flowers on the road sides and waste lands is seen throughout India (though originated in Americas and spread widely in Africa), upto an altitude of 1300 m, and is prostrate, much branched herb with small woody rootstock. The genus name comes from the Latin word “evolvulus” meaning “to unroll”, and is referring to the species nonvining habit. It belongs to plant family Convolvulaceae.
This plant grows on a sandy or rocky area, under xerophytic conditions. It is much branched annual propagated by seeds. The flowering season of this plant is from October to December. The plant is also cultivated in the gardens as ornamental plant for its flowers ranging from white, blue to light pink in color. Its stem is spreading, wiry, hairy more than 30 cm long. Leaves are numerous, oblong-elliptic or lanceolate, 1.0-3.5 x 0.3-1.0 cm, obtuse at apex, densely covered with appressed silky hairs, petioles is short. Flowers (7 to 10 mm in diameter) are light-blue, solitary, axillary, bracts lanceolate. Sepals are 4, lanceolate, densely silky. Corolla is funnel shaped. They are pollinated by insects. Seeds are dispersed by wind. Capsules are globose, 3-4 mm long, 4-valved. Seeds are usually 4, glabrous. Whole plant is uprooted for use.
The plant is called as Shankhapushpi as its flower resembles the shape of a conch, blue coloured flower, like conch. Ksheerapushpi is the name given to its has white coloured flower. It is considered
Mangala Kusuma – auspicious and hence is one of the plants included as Dasapushpam, the ten sacred flowers. Its common Ayurvedic synonyms are aparajita, mohanasi, supuspi, sveta, mahasveta, girikarnika, ardrakarni, gokarnika, sephanda, vishnukrantha, etc.
The plant's chemical constituents comprise Alkaloid; Evolvin, Betaine, Sterols, Proteins, Carbohydrates, Phenols compounds, Tannin.
It is astringent, bitter, and pungent in taste (rasa), sweet after digestion (vipaka), and is cool in effect (virya). This herb works on the nerves, plasma, and reproductive system. It helps in mental, nervous, excretory, and reproductive disorders. It is thus used as a home remedy, and in Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine as Shankhapushpi, for improving memory (Smrutiprada), reducing stress, to treat fevers, as aphrodisiac, cure hyperthyroid, to treat wounds, uses in pregnancy, lactation, and for children; it is thus a widely traded commodity in India. In South India, an infusion of the powdered whole plant is drunk against syphilis. A preparation of the plant in oil is applied to promote hair growth. It is also know for its use as one of the best herbs for enhancing beauty and help in nourishing all the layers of skin.
- Narasipur Char
