Wild cotton

The scientific name of Wild cotton: Thespesia lampas

Synonyms: Azanza lampas, Hibiscus lampas

Family: Malvaceae (Mallow family)

Name of in different languages:

English: Ban Kapas, common mallow

Sanskrit: वनकर्पास vanakarpasah

Hindi: जंगली भिंडी jangli bhindi, बनकपासी bankapasi

Tamil: காட்டுப்பருத்தி kattupparutti

Malayalam: katthurparathi-കാട്ടുപരുത്തി, katupuvarasu-കാട്ടുപൂവരശ്

Useful plant parts:

Roots and fruits

Plant description:

The Wild cotton plant is erect, branched under shrub, grow to 2-3 m in height. The leaves are green, smooth upper and hairy beneath, surface ovate, ovate-oblong, up to 20 cm long, leaves are tri-lobed or nearly entire, broad and heart-shaped, tapered at the end. The flowers are large, yellow and borne in threes in the apex of the branches. The calyx is green, with 5 pointed lobes united below the middle. The corolla is bell-shaped, 6-8 cm long, yellow, and dark-purple at the centre. The capsules are ovoid, and about 3 cm long, with 4 to 5 valves.

Medicinal uses:

To treat jaundice, gonorrhoea and syphilis.

Chemical content:

lignin

Medicinal properties:

Bulk enhancer, energizer, diuretic and body stabilizer

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

Image credit: Dinesh Valke-Flickr