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19. Xanthium srrumarhim Linn. Sp. PJ. 987, 1753. (Fig. 137).
COMPOSITAE
Xanthium indicum DC. —Xanthium roxburghii Wallroth.—Xanthium discolor Wallroth.—
Xanthium hrevirostre Wallroth.—Xanthium orientate Blume
Engl. Bur-weed, Cocklebur; Sinh. Urukossa; Tarn. Marlumuita; Hindi Banokra,
Chhotagokhru, Shankhahuli; Sans. Arishta, Bhulagna, Chanda, Itara, Kambumalini, Kambupushpa,
Kiriti, Malavinashini, Mangalyakusuma, Medhya, Pitapushpi, Raktapushpi, Sarpakshi,
Shankhagalini' Shankhakusuma, Shankhapupuspi, Shankhavha, Shwetakusuma, Sukshmapatra,
Supushpi, Vanamalini.
An annual herb with a short, stout, slightly branched, flexuose stem, harsh with bristly
hairs; leaves simple, alternate, numerous, 5—7.5 cm long and almost as broad, on petioles
about as long or longer, broadly triangular-ovate, often 3-lobed, somewhat cordate at base,
acute, irregularly incised-serrate, harsh with short adpressed hair on both sides; flowers in
two types of heads, the upper ones globose with numerous, bisexual but sterile, tubular flowers
each enclosed by a bracteole. on an ovoid receptacle and with a few, small, hairy involucre bracts;
the lower ones broadly ovoid, with only two female, apetalous but fertile flowers in an involucre
of fused bracts forming an ovoid, closed, spiny, 2-horned, 2-locular utricle with one flower in
each loculus: sepals absent; petals 5, fused with a tubular corolla in bisexual flowers but absent
in the lower female flowers; stamens 5, distinct, filaments fused into a tube in bisexual flowers
only; ovary inferior, unilocular with a basal ovule, style of bisexual flower not divided, in female
flowers deeply divided, long, exserted from the involucre; achenes completely enclosed in
chambers of the enlarged involucre (like seeds in a capsule), 1.2 cm long, oblongovoid,
compressed, glabrous, pappus absent; involucre of fertile fruits capped with 2, erect,
mucronate beaks, thickly set with sharp rather long prickles usually hooked at the ends,
2-chambered, hard and tough.
Illustrations. Wight, Ic. PI. Ind. Orient, pi. 1104. 1846; Kirtikar and Basu, Indian Med.
Plants, pi. 528/). 1933; Herb. Peradeniya, drawing.
Distribution. Occurs throughout the warmer parts of Europe, Australia, America,
Burma, China, India and Ceylon. It is rather rare in Ceylon, mostly confined to waste ground
at the edge of tanks, etc. specially in the dry regions; Kandy, Passara, Kantalai, Mihintale,
Batticaloa, etc.
India. Ganget. Plain: T. Thomson. Maisor and Carnatic, G. Thomson. Ceylon. Thwaites
CP. 1771. Eastern Prov.. Kantalai, Herb. Peradeniya Aug. 1885. Upper Burma. Khali/, 1896.
China. Hainan, Wu 1103, May 1928.
Composition. The seeds contain a glucoside xanthostrumarium and a fixed oil which
consists of oleic, linoleic and isolinoleic acids. They also contain-a fat splitting enzyme.
Uses. The root is useful for cancer and against strumous diseases. The whole plant is
supposed to possess diaphoretic and sedative properties. It is administered for longstanding
cases of malarial fever, in the form of a decoction. In Indo-china, an extract of the root is
applied on ulcers, boils and abscesses. In southern Europe, the leaf, fruit and root are used as
remedies for catarrh,scrofula, leprosy, tubercular and other skin diseases, cancer, dysenteries
and bladder ailments.
In certain parts of Assam, the young flower tops are eaten as a potherb.
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