Pisonia aculeata, Baghachuur, konki poda, Prickly-mampoo, Kodimullaram, Karindhu

Pisonia aculeata L.
Family: Nyctaginaceae

Synonyms: Pallavia aculeata (L.) Vell. , Pisonia aculeata var. pedicellaris Griseb. ex Heimerl , Pisonia grandifolia Standl. , Pisonia loranthoides Kunth , Pisonia monotaxadenia C. Wright , Pisonia sieberi Schltr. , Pisonia villosa Poir. , Pisonia yagua-pinda D.Parodi , Tragularia horrida K.D.Koenig ex Roxb.
 

English: West Indian cock’s spur, prtickly climbing cock’s spur
Bengali: Baghachuur / Baghachura
Tamil: Kodi kuttippadatthi, Selamaranjaan, Karuindu
Malayalam: Kodimullaram, Karindhu
Spanish: Prickly-mampoo
Telugu: పీతరించి, పిసంగి, కొంకిపొద, వశీకరణపొద

Description: Large scandent, armed shrubs. Axillary spines hooked, 0.5cm long. Leaves alternate; subsessile; lamina 3-6 × 1.5-3cm, elliptic-ovate, base rounded, margin entire, apex emarginated, chartaceous. Flowers 3-4mm across, creamy-white, sessile, aggregated in dense axillary, compound, umbels; peduncle 3-7cm long. Perianth lobes 5, tube short, lobes triangular. Stamens 10, in 2 rows, much exerted.  Anthocarps 1-1.5 × 0.4-0.6cm, oblong, 5-angled, with 5 rows of 2 seriate, stipate viscid glands.
 

Leaves used for rheumatic pains, to treat skin problems, scabies and ulcers. Bark and leaves used as counterirritant for swellings and rheumatic pains; juice with pepper given in pulmonary complaints of children. 

Roots used to treat cough. (CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants)
 

Used in Venereal diseases, muscular-skeletal disorders, rheumatism (Handbook of African Medicinal Plants, Second Edition)
 

Bark and leaves—counterirritant for swellings and rheumatic pains. Fresh leaves—used as a wash for scabies. (Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary)
 

The bark and the leaves are used as a counterirritant for swellings and rheumatic pains. The juice mixed with pepper and other ingredients is given to children suffering from pulmonary complaints. (Indian medicinal plants - Kirtikar, Kanhoba Ranchoddas, 1849-1917.

14 Published articles on Pisonia aculeata:

1.    Vandresen, F., et al., Acute toxicity and antiedematogenic activity from stems of Pisonia aculeata L. (Nyctaginaceae). Revista Latinoamericana de Quimica, 2013. 41(2): p. 111-118.
2.    Sen, S., et al., Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antioxidant activities of Pisonia aculeata: Folk medicinal use to scientific approach. Pharmaceutical Biology, 2013. 51(4): p. 426-432.
3.    Madhulatha, C., et al., Anti-ulcer activity of Pisonia aculeata on Pylorus ligation induced gastric ulcer in rats. International Journal of Pharmacy and Life Sciences (IJPLS), 2013. 4(3): p. 2440-2443.
4.    Ghode, S.P., B. Rajkapoor, and P.D. Ghode, Cytotoxicity of methanolic extract of Pisonia aculeata L. leaf. International Journal of Pharma and Bio Sciences, 2012. 3(4): p. P-155-P-160.
5.    Anbarasu, C., et al., Protective effect of Pisonia aculeata on thioacetamide induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, 2012. 2(7): p. 511-515.
6.    Wu, M.-C., et al., Antitubercular Chromones and Flavonoids from Pisonia aculeata. Journal of Natural Products, 2011. 74(5): p. 976-982.
7.    Ghode, S.P., B. Rajkapoor, and T. Subbraju, Antitumor activity of methanolic extract of Pisonia aculeata leaf. International Journal of Phytomedicine, 2011. 3(2): p. 172-181.
8.    Brown, S.E., et al., First report of 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' associated with huanglongbing in the weeds Cleome rutidosperma, Pisonia aculeata and Trichostigma octandrum in Jamaica. New Disease Reports, 2011. 24: p. 25-Article 25.
9.    Anbarasu, C., B. Rajkapoor, and J. Kalpana, Protective effect of Pisonia aculeata on Rifampicin and Isoniazid induced hepatotoxicity in rats. International Journal of Phytomedicine, 2011. 3(1): p. 75-83.
10.    Raju, S., et al., Effects of ethanol extract of Pisonia aculeata Linn. on ehrlich ascites carcinoma tumor bearing mice. International Journal of Green Pharmacy, 2008. 2(1): p. 50-53.
11.    Palanivel, M.G., et al., Hepatoprotective and antioxidant effect of Pisonia aculeata L. against CCl4-induced hepatic damage in rats. Scientia Pharmaceutica, 2008. 76(2): p. 203-215.
12.    da Rosa, S.M., L.A. de Souza, and I.S. Moscheta, Morphology and anatomy of the development of the anthocarp and fruit of Pisonia aculeata L. (Nyctaginaceae). Acta Cientifica Venezolana, 2002. 53(4): p. 245-250.
13.    Diaz Dumas, M.A., ON THE TRUE IDENTITY OF PISONIA-ACULEATA L. NYCTAGINACEAE LECTOTYPIFICATION. Revista del Jardin Botanico Nacional, 1988. 9(1): p. 9-14.
14.    Venkates Warlu, J., A contribution to the embryology of Pisonia aculeata Linn. Jour Indian Bot Soc, 1947. 26((3)): p. 183-194.