''Abutilon indicum'' (Indian abutilon, Indian mallow) is a small shrub in the family

Malvaceae Malvaceae, or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include okra, cotton, cacao and durian. There are also some genera containing familiar ...

, native to tropical and subtropical regions. This plant is a valuable

medicinal Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practic ...

and

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

, its roots and leaves being used for curing fevers. It has been widely introduced outside of its native range, and is considered invasive on certain tropical islands. *Hindi name: कंंघाइ "Kanghai" *Urdu name: کنگھی "Kanghi" *Tamil name: துத்தி "thuthi" *Sanskrit name: अतिबला ''Atibalaa'' *Tulu name: "urki" *Telugu name: ''Duvvena Kayalu'' "duvvena benda"(దువ్వెన బెండ) *Kannada name: ''TuThThi gida'' (ತುಥ್ಥಿ ಗಿಡ) *Malayalam name:വെള്ളൂരം *Odia name: ପେଡ଼ି ପେଡ଼ିକା "Pedi Pedika"

Distribution

The species occurs in a number of tropical and subtropical zones. An example occurrence is within parts of the

Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over over an area of approximately . The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, ...

islands of the Coral Sea.

Traditional medicine

In traditional medicine, ''A. indicum'' various parts of the plant are used as a demulcent, aphrodisiac, laxative, diuretic, sedative, astringent, expectorant, tonic, anti-convulsant, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, and analgesic and to treat leprosy, ulcers, headaches, gonorrhea, and bladder infection. The whole plant is uprooted, dried and is powdered. In ancient days, maidens were made to consume a spoonful of this powder with a spoonful of honey, once in a day, for 6 months until the day of marriage, for a safe and quick pregnancy. The plant is commonly used in Siddha medicines. The root, bark, flowers, leaves and seeds are all used for medicinal purposes by Tamils. The leaves are used as adjunct to medicines used for pile complaints. The flowers are used to increase semen in men. ABUTILON INDICUM

Chemistry

β-Sitosterol β-sitosterol (beta-sitosterol) is one of several phytosterols (plant sterols) with chemical structures similar to that of cholesterol. It is a white, waxy powder with a characteristic odor, and is one of the components of the food additive E499 ...

is present in ''A. indicum'' and a petroleum ether extract has larvicidal properties against the mosquito larvae ''

Culex quinquefasciatus ''Culex'' is a genus of mosquitoes, several species of which serve as vectors of one or more important diseases of birds, humans, and other animals. The diseases they vector include arbovirus infections such as West Nile virus, Japanese encep ...

''. A methanol extract of ''A. indicum'' has some antimicrobial properties.

References

External links

''Abutilon indicum, Indian Mallow Sinhalese Name:Beheth Anoda''
Indian Mallow, Abutilon

photo
Abutilon indicum (Linn.) Sweet
Medicinal Plant Images Database (School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University) {{Taxonbar, from=Q2901598 indicum Flora of Palestine (region) Flora of Pakistan Flora of Syria Flora of Maharashtra Plants described in 1756