Malabar nightshade

The Scientific name of Malabar nightshade: Basella Alba

Name of Malabar nightshade in different languages:

English: Vine spinach, red vine spinach, climbing spinach, creeping spinach, buffalo spinach, Indian spinach and Ceylon spinach.

Sanskrit: Apoedika, Potaki

Malayalam: Vallicheera-വള്ളിച്ചീര, Vashalacheera-വഷളച്ചീര.

Useful plant parts: Leaf, stem

Plant description:

It is a perennial, fast-growing vine, reaching 10 m in length, stems are thick, purplish, and semi-succulent, leaves are simple, alternately arranged and single, heart-shaped, and have a mucilaginous texture, apex is tapered, soft and slippery, about 6 to 10 cm long and 4 to 6 cm broad, fruits are green, turns black when ripe, normally contain 3 seeds in the fruits.

Leaf Arrangement

Shape-Cordate	Margin-Entire	Venation-Reticulated

Chemical content: ß-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, Vitamin A, C.

How to prepare medicines:

It is  one of the ingredients in the Ayurveda medicines like:-

• Avipathichoornam
• Eladichoornam
• Karpooradichoornam
• SudarsanaChoornam