CLITORIA TERNATEA

Common name: Butterfly Pea • Hindi: अपराजिता Aparajita • Manipuri: অপরাজিতা Aparajita • Tamil: சங்கு கன்னிக்கொடி Kannikkodi • Malayalam: സന്ഗ പുശ്പമ Sangu pushpam • Marathi: गोकर्ण Gokurna Shankha Pushpa शंख पुष्प • Konkani: Shankha Pushpa शंख पुष्प

Botanical name: Clitoria ternatea   

Family: Fabaceae (pea family)

Geographical distribution: Occurrence : Wasteland,garden plant

Introduction:This wonderful twining plant generously bears quite large flowers (about 2" across) which are a beautiful shade of vivid cobalt blue with a white throat. The flowers are presented upside down - the "keel" petal appears on the top rather than the underside. A native of subtropical America and Asia, the butterfly pea is beautiful. A vine that can climb to 9 feet in a hot summer. The flowers are produced in late summer, deep blue with a yellow to white pattern in the center of the lower petal. A member of the pea family, elongated peas are produced and seeds can be collected for sowing the following year. The botanical name comes from the resemblance to intimate parts of the human anatomy.

Habit :Climber

Parts used :    Leaves,root, seeds

Chemical Constituents :Seeds contain a fixed oil and a bitter resinous principle. Both seeds and root bark contain tannin.

Medicinal uses : Plant is used to cure mental disorders. Root is reported to be useful in snake and scorpion poison. Root bark has got diuric and laxative properties. Seeds are used as purgative and aperient. Root bark of white flowered variety is used as a snuff to cure headache and migrain and it is applied on the skin to cure leacoderma.