A rigid, grey undershrub, 60-120 cm high. Leaves usually lanceolate-oblong, clothed with a persistent, greyish tomentum on both sides, base narrowed into a stout petiole; flowers yellow, in axillary cymose clusters; berries globose, red or, brownish, smooth, enclosed in leathery calyx; seeds dark brown, ear-shaped, glabrous; pulp brown, having nauseous, fruity odour.

Carminative, emetic, alterative, diuretic, antibilious, antiinflammatory, depresses the central nervous system and sedative (fruit); proteolytic (plant and fruit).

Withanolides (root); triacontane, dihydrostigmasterol and free amino acids (fruit).

Asthma, indigestion, coagulating milk, in chronic complaints of liver (fruit); employed in dyspepsia, flatulent colic and other intestinal affections (dried fruit); for cleaning teeth, and the smoke of the plant is inhaled for relief in toothache (twig).

Chandel et al., Biodiversity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in India.