Description

Long-Stalk Sida also called Bhumibala or Sida cordata is a perennial plant producing more or less herbaceous, procumbent stems up to 1 metre long from a woody rootstock.The plant is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use / Ayurvedic medicine and source of fibre.

Characteristics:

Native to India, Heart-Leaf Sida is is a weed that grows wild in wastelands and along roadsides. They are found throughout the tropical and ub-tropical plains all over India and Srilanka. The herb grows to 30-80 cm. The plant though seasonal, is available throughout the year, and is especially luxuriant during the months of October to December. The leaves, 1-5.5 cm long, are heart shaped, one at each node. The flowers, 7-8 mm across, are produced at the leaf axils, and are yellow in color. The plant can be easily recognized with the above characteristics, and the entire plant is used in making medicine.

Medicinal Uses:

The juice of the plant is applied to boils and pimples. The root is tonic. The juice of the root is used to treat indigestion. A paste of the root is applied as a poultice to remove pus from boils and wounds. It is also used in the treatment of gonorrhoea and other venereal diseases. The juice of the leaves is used to treat cuts and wounds.