''Cressa cretica'' is a species of flowering plant in the
morning glory family. It is found in northern and central Africa, southern Europe and western Asia, as well as parts of southeastern Asia and Australia. It has long been used in traditional medicine and research has demonstrated that it has some therapeutic effects.
Description
''Cressa cretica'' is a densely branching subshrub growing to a height of about . The leaves are small, stubby, obtuse and clad in silky hairs. The flowers grow in groups in the axils of the upper leaves and are white; the back of the reflexed corolla lobes are hairy near the tip. The fruits are ovoid, pointed capsules, usually containing a single seed.
Etymology
Cressa: Greek, based on kris or kriti, “from Crete”, a Cretan woman.
Distribution and habitat
''Cressa cretica'' is known from the Mediterranean part of Europe, northern and central Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East and western Asia as far east as India and Sri Lanka. It also occurs in parts of southeastern Asia and in a number of states in Australia, but it is unclear as to whether it is native to these places. It is a
halophyte
A halophyte is a salt-tolerant plant that grows in soil or waters of high salinity, coming into contact with saline water through its roots or by salt spray, such as in saline semi-deserts, mangrove swamps, marshes and sloughs and seashores. T ...
and grows in salty parts of
oases
In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.”
The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
, in depressions in sandy areas that become wet seasonally, in
salt marsh
A salt marsh or saltmarsh, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. It is dominated ...
es and beside temporary pools.
Uses
This plant is much used in
traditional medicine
Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...
; it is reputed to be an anthelmintic, an expectorant, an aid to digestion, an aphrodisiac and to have tonic properties among other uses.
[ Research shows that the plant contains a number of chemical constituents and that it has some potential as an ]antibacterial
An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention of ...
, an antifungal
An antifungal medication, also known as an antimycotic medication, is a pharmaceutical fungicide or fungistatic used to treat and prevent mycosis such as athlete's foot, ringworm, candidiasis (thrush), serious systemic infections such as crypto ...
and an antitussive
Cold medicines are a group of medications taken individually or in combination as a treatment for the symptoms of the common cold and similar conditions of the upper respiratory tract. The term encompasses a broad array of drugs, including a ...
agent. In combination with '' Tridax procumbens'' and '' Euphorbia thymifolia'', it has been found to be effective as an anticancer treatment. It has also been shown to improve testicular function in rats.
References
एक अमूल्य औषधि दोआब की धरा में छिपी है "रुद्रवंती
रुद्रवंती_in_Hindi
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1139718
Convolvulaceae
Flora of Malta