An erect, simple annual herb up to 1.5 m tall. Leaves 3 to 5 foliate, densely glandular-pubescent, petioles 2.5 to 5 cm long, base cuneate, apex acute. Flowers shades of yellow or white to pinkish, 1.3 cm long, borne in axils of leaf-like bracts in lax corymbose racemes. Fruit erect glandular pubescent capsule, 5 to 12 cm. Seeds 1 mm diameter, glandular, black or dark brown.
Herb Effects
Diaphoretic, rubefacient and vesicant (leaves); blistering and rubefacient (seed and leaf); anthelmintic, carminative, rubefacient and vesicant (seeds); rubifacient, vesicant, sudorific and antifungal properties (leaves); irritant, acrid, rubifacient and vesicant (bark).
Cleosandrin, cleomiscosin and 7-phenoxycoumarin (seed); cleomeolide (leaf).
Chemistry
of Active Ingredients
Name
CAS#
IUPAC Name
Formula
Structure
Cleomeolide
72188-81-9
Not Available
C20H30O3
Pharmacology
Medicinal Use
Bronchitis and gonorrhea (plant); ear infections (leaf juice); an external application to wounds and ulcers, in treating oedema, inflammation in the ear, treat piles, splenic and liver disorders and syphilis (leaves).
Reference
Chandel et al., Biodiversity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in India.
Uniyal et al., Medicinal Flora of Garhwal Himalayas. Perumal Samy R. Ignacimuthu S. Raja DP. Preliminary screening of ethnomedicinal plants from India. J Ethnopharmacol 1999.
Health Remedies 
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