Aristolochia indica L.
Family: Aristolochiaceae
Vernacular names: Garudakodi, Iswaramooli, Urikodi, Urithookki, Karalakam, Cheriya
arayan, ഗരുഡകോടി, ഈശ്വരമൂലി, ഉറിക്കൊടി, ഉറിതൂക്കി, കരളകം, ചെറിയ അരയൻ (Malayalam),
Indian birthwort (English), Eesvari (Sanskrit), Isharmul (Hindi), Isvaramuli
(Tamil)
Distribution: Indo-Malesia
Description: Twining perennial herbs; branchlets slender. Leaves ovate-lanceolate
or ovate-oblong, base truncate, apex acute to acuminate. Flowers greyish-green,
few-flowered, axillary racemes. Capsule globose-pyriform, dehiscing from the base,
after dehiscence parachute-like; seeds broadly deltoid, flat, winged.
Habit: Climbers/Lianas
Habitat: Deciduous forests, also in the plains
Flowering & Fruiting: July-March
Parts used: Root and leaves
Properties & Uses: Anti-venomous and anti-pyretic. The plant is believed to have
the power to destroy the toxic effects of all poisons, especially snake poison. The
roots are used in the treatment of dyspepsia, bowel troubles in children and
intermittent fever. The decoction of the root is used for the treatment of fever.
The seeds are useful for treating inflammations and dry cough.
Systems of Medicines: Ayurveda, Folk, Unani,
Traditional Uses:The fresh root crushed with turmeric is used in scorpion bite,
insect bite, centipede bite, swellings, inflammation, allergy, etc. The leaf juice
and paste is applied over the wounds and swellings.
Aristolochia indica
Morphological Characteristics
Aristolochia indica is a perennial creeper with a woody rootstock.
Leaves are alternate, entire with more or less undulate margins, somewhat cordate,
acuminate or obovate.
Floral Characteristics
Flowers constitute of greenish-white or light purplish perianth with inflorescence
in axillary cymes or fascicles, 1-2 lipped, hairy within limbs dilated.
Stamens are six in number, adnate and filaments are not distinguishable from the
style.
Anthers are adnate to column and carpel is six locular with two ovules.
The flowers are usually foetid in odour.
Fruit is globose, oblong, septicidal, six valved capsule and opening from below
upwards.
Seeds are many in number, flat and winged.
Distribution
Plant is distributed in lower hills and plains of India, Bengal and Assam.
Climate and Soil
It grows in warm and moist climate, with temperature ranging from 20ºC to 33º C,
and annual rainfall ranging 100-150 cm and spread out to a greater part of the
year.
It can also be cultivated over well drained sandy- loam soil rich in organic
matter.
It needs irrigation at lower elevation where rainfall is low.
Propagation Material
Seeds.
Agro-technique
Nursery Technique
Raising Propagules: Seeds mature during May-July. Germination of seed is about 80%.
Seeds may be sown in rows over raised beds and 10 cm apart. Seedlings at 4-5 leaves
stage can be transferred in polybags or kept in the nursery bed till it attains 15
cm height, when it is ready for transplantation. Seed viability remains at 70-80%
up to one year. Seeds should be treated in Bavistin/Captan/Thiram before sowing.
About 30,000 seedlings are needed for one hectare land.
Planting in the Field
Land Preparation and Fertilizer Application: Land should be deeply ploughed and
harrowed twice and made into good tilth. FYM @ 10 t/ha alongwith NPK @ 25:60:100
kg/ha during land preparation may be applied. Later N @ 25 kg/ha may be applied
after planting and again at 3 months interval.
Transplanting and Optimum Spacing: Seedlings may be raised in May-July and their
transplantation done in August-September. 60X60 cm spacing is optimal requirement.
Intercropping System: Annual herbs like chilli can be grown as intercrop.
Inter-culture and Maintenance Practices: Hoeing and hand weedings are carried out
simultaneously 45 days after planting, thereafter at 6 months interval in first
year. In second year, periodicity of interculture remains same.
Irrigation Practices: Usually rainfed crop, but supplementary irrigation is needed
during dry seasons.
Weed Control: Pre-emergence application of Pendimethaline @ 1.0 kg/ha or Simazine @
2.0 kg/ha may be applied, thereafter hand weeding at 90 days after tansplanting and
later as per weed population. Application of post-emergence herbicides is not
suggested.
Disease and Pest Control: Leaf blight is observed in the plantation during winter
season. Application of Dithane M-45 @ 3 gm/lit at 15 days interval is found to
control the disease. Infestation of Pachlioptera aristolochia is found to attack
the vines and eat on tender leaves during May-August. Application of Rogor 30 EC @
0.02% keeps the moth away. Thiodan 35 EC @ 0.09% is also found effective against
the insect.
Crop Maturity and Harvesting: Crop matures after one year growth but the leaves are
pruned and harvested after 180 days onwards periodically. The collection of roots
is advisable after two years of age.
Post-harvest Management: Leaves and roots after collection are cleaned thoroughly
and all foreign matters are removed. These may be dried in shade for a week when it
has 10-12% moisture and then it is ready for storage. It is packed in air tight
polythene bags and stacked in bamboo or wooden crates.
Chemical Constituents: Plant possesses aristolochic acid upto 0.017% and essential
oil upto 0.5%. Besides, it has potassium and β-sitosterol. Two sesquiterpene
hydrocarbons viz. ishwarane and aristolochene have been identified from the root
and their structure is established.
Yield and Cost of Cultivation: Estimated yield is 640 kg/ha/year in the second year
and onwards.
Therapeutic Uses
The dried roots and rhizomes are used as a bitter tonic.
The fresh juice of leaves and bark is used in the bowel complaints of children,
diarrhoea and intermittent fevers.
The root is used in skin diseases and heals wounds and destroys the toxic effect of
all poisons.
In the olden days, it was used against snake-bites in Southern India.
The plant possesses emmenagogue, abortifacient, antiarthritic, anti-inflammatory,
antiperiodic, diuretic and antibilious properties.
Source: Agro-techniques of selected medicinal plants
