Elytraria acaulis, पत्थरचट्टा, Pumikatampam, గొడ్డలి చిప్పాకు, నేలమర్రి, ఎద్దు నాలిక

Elytraria acaulis (L.f.) Lindau
Family: Acanthaceae

Synonyms: Elytraria crenata Vahl, Elytraria indica Pers.
English: Asian Scalystem
Hindi: पत्थरचट्टा Patharchatta
Tamil: Pumikatampam
Telugu: గొడ్డలి చిప్పాకు, నేలమర్రి, ఎద్దు నాలిక,
Description: Stemless perennial herb with 1-several unbranched flowering stems, up to c. 30 cm tall. Leaves in a basal rosette, subsessile, elliptic to obovate, up to 18 cm long, hairy, particularly on the veins below; margin subentire to scalloped in the upper part. Flowers in 1-several spikes held in tight apiculate, overlapping bracts. Bracts and flowering stem bluish green. Corolla white, lower lip and lateral lobes spreading, 2-lobed. Flowers often not opening. Capsule 5.5-6.5 mm long, hairless.

Used in Siddha. Whole plant decoction along with black, pepper taken in fever, venereal diseases and cough. Leaves, decoction in fever; dried leaves inhaled in bronchitis; fresh, leaves paste applied on wounds and nail diseases. Roots, paste applied to mammary abscesses, snakebites, and also, for tonsillitis, throat complaints and colic pains; tuberous, roots decoction given to subside boils and body swellings. Veterinary medicine, dried powdered roots mixed with powdered tobacco leaves and water forming a paste for treating sores of cattle; a mixture of plant powder and seed powder of, Panicum sumatrense applied as plaster to the broken horns, of cows; whole plant given in dysentery; leaves juice given to, cattle as antidote; contact therapy, fresh roots tied near the, affected part to kill worms in wounds and hasten healing of, wounds and ulcers. [CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants]

11 Published articles of Elytraria acaulis

1.    Sathish, B., et al., A review on phytochemical and pharmacological profile of Elytraria acaulis Lindau. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research (IJPSR), 2015. 6(9): p. 3671-3675.
2.    Reddy, G.V.R., et al., Hepatoprotective activity of Elytraria acaulis in CCl4 induced hepato toxic albino rats. World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 2015. 4(6): p. 1604-1617.
3.    Babu, P.S., et al., A REVIEW ON PHYTOCHEMICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL PROFILE OF ELYTRARIA ACAULIS LINDAU. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, 2015. 6(9): p. 3671-3675.
4.    Reddy, G.V.R., et al., Effect of Elytraria acaulis acetone extract on fertility in male albino rats. World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (WJPPS), 2014. 3(7): p. 1017-1025.
5.    Reddy, G.V.R., R.V. Kumar, and M.K. Reddy, Effect of Elytraria acaulis extracts on fertility in male albino rats. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research (IJPSR), 2014. 5(11): p. 4724-4727.
6.    Karthikeyan, J., et al., Studies on the anthelmintic and antioxidant activity of root extracts of Elytraria acaulis. Advances in Animal and Veterinary Sciences, 2014. 2(8): p. 457-463.
7.    Anupama, S., et al., Evaluation of antidiarrhoeal activity of Elytraria acaulis extracts on magnesium sulphate- and castor oil-induced diarrhoea in Wistar rats. Malaysian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2013. 11(2): p. 31-39.
8.    Kiruthika, N., et al., Phytochemical studies on Elytraria acaulis. International Journal of Pharma and Bio Sciences, 2012. 3(3): p. B-1054-B-1062.
9.    Kumudhavalli, M.V. and B. Jayakar, Phytochemical and pharmacological evaluation of the dried leaves of Elytraria acaulis (L.F.) Lindau. Journal of Pharmacy Research, 2011. 4(9): p. 3219-3221.
10.    Ravikanth, V., et al., Pyrazole alkaloids from Elytraria acaulis. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, 2001. 29(7): p. 753-754.
11.    Johri, B.M. and H. Singh, The morphology, embryology and systematic position of Elytraria acaulis (Linn. f.) Lindau. Bot Notiser, 1959. 112((2)): p. 227-251.