Siddha Kantakachoramu, Mulasari (Telugu.)
Folk Kantakachu (Bengal),
Kaantaasaru. Lakshmanaa and Indiver-kand are doubtful synonyms.
Action Plant—used for colic and intestinal diseases. Leaves—used for stomachache. Rootstock and fruits—for affections of the throat.
Lasiosiphon eriocephalus
Decne.
Family Thymelaceaceae.
Habitat b Deccan and Western
Ghats, from Konkan southwards to
Kerala at altitudes of 1,200—2,500 m.
Siddha Nachinaar (Tamil). Folk Raamethaa (Maharashtra).
Action Barkandleaves—poisonous. Plant—vesicant. Leaves are applied to swellings and contusions.
The stem bark and seeds contain a xanthone glycoside, lasioside and a biscoumarin, lasiocephatin.
Lathyrus sativus Linn.
Family Papilionaceae; Fabaceae.
Habitat Cultivated chiefly in
Madhya Pradesh, Eastern Uttar
Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra
Pradesh and Gujarat. English Chickling Vetch, Grass
Pea.
Folk Khesaari, Latari, Kalaaya.
Action Seeds—toxic. Prolonged consumption results in paralysis of legs, both in animals and human beings, known as lathyrism. The toxic substance responsible for lathyrism had been identified as selenium. Peritoneal injection of beta-N- oxalylaminoalanine (isolated from the seeds) produced acute neurolathyrism at LD5O doses (748.8 mg/kg) in mice and (694.9 mg/kg) in chicken; liver and kidney cells showed denaturation, vacuolar and fatty degeneration. (It is a neuropoison, which mainly affects central nervous system.)
Related species include, Lathyrus aphaca Linn., L. sphaericus Retz. and L. tingitanus Linn., known as Kalaaya or Khesaari.
364 Launaea mucronata (Forsk.) Muschler.
Launaea mucronata
