Aeschynomene indica - Indian Joint vetch

❏ Binomial Name : Aeschynomene indica L

❏ Synonym : Aeschynomene diffusa, Smithia aspera,Hedysarum alpinum

❏ Family : Leguminosae

❏ Common Name : Indian Joint vetch

❏ Tamil Name : Netti, Takkaippuntu

❏ Hindi Name : Jainti

❏ IUCN status : Least Concern

Aeschynomene indica Botanical Description

Annual undershrub, 30-90 cm tall, stem glabrous, branches terete with prickle-like glandular excretions. Leaf 3.5-9.0 cm long, rachis furnished with glandular excretions looking like prickles. Leaflets 21-71, alternate, subsessile, overlapping, 2.5-6.5 mm long, 1.2-2.0 mm broad, linear, obtuse, mucronate, glabrous. Inflorescence a 1-4-flowered axillary raceme, peduncle c. 2.5 cm long, peduncle and pedicel glandular, viscid, pedicel 5-9 mm long. Bracts c. 2 mm long. Calyx 6-7 mm long, bilabiate, glabrous, upper lip bifid, lower minutely 3-toothed. Corolla 9-10 mm long, yellow, vexillum veined with purple. Fruit 2.5-4.5 cm long, 3-5 mm broad, slightly curved, 6-10 jointed, glabrous or slightly hairy, readily separating into 1-seeded parts. Fl. &Fr.: August-December 

Aeschynomene indica Medicinal uses

❀ The plant has many medicinal uses, including as a spermicide

❀ The whole plant is dried in the shade, finely chopped, roasted and then used as a tea substitute

❀ Pith from the stem can be used for floatation

❀ A freely nodulating, nitrogen-fixing species, it can be used as a green manure

Aeschynomene indica Photos

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