Horse gram

The scientific name of Horse gram: Dolichos biflorus Linn. / Vigna unquiculata

Name of Horse gram in different languages:-

English: Cowpea, Horsegram

Sanskrit: Kulatha

Hindi: Kutthi

Tamil: Kollu

Malayalam: Muthira-മുതിര

Plant description:

Horse gram is an annual herb, a legume, sub-erect or trailing many branched; leaves are arranged alternately, stipulate, trifoliate, and ovate, up to 5. cm long, flowers found in axillaries, color yellow, 1.8 cm long; contain 5 to 6 seeds in a pod, size up to 5.0 cm long, ellipsoid and flattened.

Useful plant parts: seeds

Medicinal uses: To treat piles, colic, epitasis, hiccup, abdominal lumps, bronchial asthma flatulence, ulcers etc.

Chemical content:

coumestrol, glycoprotein, psoraliding; dolichin A and dolichin B, 2-hydroxy-genistein, β-sitosterol, coumesterol, delbergiodin, genistein, isoferreirin, keivitone, phaseollidin, pyranoside.

Horse gram is used as an ingredient to prepare Ayurvedic medicines like:-

• Dhanwanthararishtam
• Dhanwantharam Kashayam
• Dhanwantharam Kuzhambu
• Rasandasamoola Gritham 
• Dhanwantharam Thailam