Description

Common Tephrosia is a perennial erect or prostrate herb or subshrub, up to 50 cm tall. Leaves are compound, leaflets 7-15, 1-2.8 x 0.3-1 cm, inverted-lanceshaped or obovate, base wedge-shaped, tip blunt to notched or flat, with a short sharp point; stipules 3-6 mm long, lanceshaped. Flowers are about 7 mm long, in few-flowered, leaf-opposed, raceme-like clusters. Flower-stalks are 3-4 mm long; bracts about 2 mm long. Calyx is 3-4 mm long, velvet-hairy; sepals tapering to a point. Flowers are pink to purplish, pea-flower shaped. Standard is about 4 mm broad, round. Staminal tube to 4 mm long. Pods are 2.5-4 cm long, 3-4 mm broad, linear-oblong, 5-7-seeded. Seeds ellipsoid, dark brown. Common Tephrosia is found in Indo-Malesia, including Western Ghats. Flowering: October-December.

Characteristics: Perennial erect or decumbent herbs or subshrubs, up to 50 cm tall. Leaves imparipinnate; leaflets 7-15, 1-2.8 x 0.3-1 cm, oblanceolate or obovate, base cuneate, apex obtuse to emarginate or truncate, mucronate; stipules 3-6 mm long, lanceolate. Flowers c. 7 mm long, in few-flowered, leaf-opposed, pseudoracemes; pedicels 3-4 mm long; bracts c. 2 mm long. Calyx 3-4 mm long., pubescent; lobes subulate. Corolla pink to purplish; standard c. 4 mm broad, orbicular. Staminal tube to 4 mm long. Pods 2.5-4 x 0.3-0.4 cm, linear-oblong, 5-7-seeded. Seeds ellipsoid, dark brown.

Medicinal Uses: According to Ayurveda, plant is digestible, anthelmintic, alexiteric, antipyretic, alternative, cures diseases of liver, spleen, heart, blood, tumours, ulcers, leprosy, asthma, poisoning etc. According to Unani system of medicine, root is diuretic, allays thirst, enriches blood, cures diarrhea, useful in bronchitis, asthma, liver, spleen diseases, inflammations, boils and pimples; Leaves are tonic to intestines and a promising appetizer. Good in piles, syphilis and gonorrhoea.