Argemone MAXICANA L.
| Synonym : | Argemone mexicana var. Mexicana Argemone spinosa Gaterau Argemone vulgaris Spach Echtrus trivialis Lour. Papaver mexicanum (L.) E.H.L.Krause |
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| Bangla Name : | Shialkanta, Baro Shialkanta. |
| English Name : | Mexican Poppy, Prickly Poppy, Yellow Thistle. |
| Family : | Papaveraceae |
| Disease : | Alterative, skin, diuretic, alterative, hypnotic, dropsy, jaundice warts, tumours, cancer, laxative, nauseant, emetic, expectorant, narcotic, demulcent and coughs. |
| Description : | A prickly annual herb, 30-80 cm high, with spreading branches and yellow juice. Leaves 7.5-17.7 cm long, thistle-like, stem-clasping, oblong, sinuately pinnatifid, margins prickly, veins white. Flowers yellow, large, terminal on short, leafy branches. Capsules prickly, 2-3.7 cm long, oblong-ovoid. Seeds numerous, black. |
| Distribution : | More or less throughout the country, in fallow lands. |
| Chemical Constituents : | Aerial parts contain a number of alkaloids, which include protopine, berberine, cryptopine, allocryptopine, coptisine, sanguinerine, nor-sanguinerine, chelerythrine, nor-chelerythrine etc. Latex contains the alkaloids, berberine and protopine and free ami |
| Uses : | The root is alterative, useful in some chronic cases of skin diseases. Stem is diuretic. Latex is diuretic, alterative, anodyne and hypnotic and is used in skin cracks, dropsy, jaundice warts, tumours, cancer, and cutaneous affections. Seeds are laxative, |
| Habit : | Herb |