Pistia STRATIOTES L.
| Synonym : | Apiospermum obcordatum (Schleid.) Klotzsch Limnonesis commutata (Schleid.) Klotzsch Pistia aegyptiaca Schleid. Zala asiatica Lour. |
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| Bangla Name : | Topapana, Tokapana, Phena. |
| English Name : | Water Lettuce, Tropical Duckweed. |
| Family : | Araceae |
| Disease : | Cooling, demulcent, dysuria, boils , skin diseases, eye and ear diseases, antiseptic, antitubercular, antidysenteric , anthelmintic, eczema, leprosy, piles, ulcers, syphilis, cough, asthma and diuretic. |
| Description : | A floating, stemless, stoloniferous herb, roots of tufted simple, white fibres. Leaves 3.2-10 cm long, variable in breadth, obovate-cuneate, rounded or retuse at the apex, densely pubescent on both surfaces. Spathe about 13 mm long, obliquely campanulate, white, gibbous and closed below, contracted about the middle, dialated and nearly orbicular above. |
| Distribution : | All over the country in ponds and ditches. |
| Chemical Constituents : | Stratioside I, a C13 norterpene glucoside, is the major constituent of the plant. Leaves also contain proteins, essential amino acids, a steroid, stigmatane, three new sitosterol acyl glycosides and minerals (Ghani, 2003). Vicenin, lucenin, cyanidin-3-glu |
| Uses : | The plant is cooling and demulcent, given in dysuria, applied to boils and skin diseases. Juice of the plant is useful in eye and ear diseases. Leaves are considered antiseptic, antitubercular, antidysenteric and anthelmintic, used in eczema, leprosy, pil |
| Habit : | Herb |