Apium Graveolens

• Botanical Name(s): Apium Graveolens

• Popular Name(s): Celery, Celery Seeds, Smallage, Garden Celery, Wild Celery, and Marsh Parsely

• Parts Used: The whole plant is used, including the roots, seeds and oil.

• Habitat: Grows wild in salty soils of North and South America, Europe and Africa.

Description: It is an aromatic biennial with bulbous fleshy roots and solid grooved stems, pinnate divided leaves, up to 50 cm long. Gray-brown seeds follow umbels of green-white flowers.

Uses: Celery is used externally to combat fungal infections and to battle tumors. The furocoumarins contained in celery are typically used for their stomachic, carminative, diuretic and emmenagogue properties. As a salad vegetable or made into a tea, celery can be helpful also in clearing up skin problems. A decoction of the seeds can be used for bronchitis, rheumatism and as a sedative for nervousness.

Apamarga

• Botanical Name(s): Achyranthes aspera

• Popular Name(s): Rough Chaff Tree, Prickly Chaff Flower, Apamarga, Adharajhada, Aghada, Aghata, Antisha, Chirchira

• Parts Used: Leaves, seeds and root

• Habitat: Aghada is found in tropical Asia, Africa, Australia and America.

Description: Aghada is a perennial herb with a woody base and it grows to a height of .5 - 2 meter. Its leaves are petiolate, opposite and occur in various sizes. Flowers are more than 50 cm in length and are greenish white in colour. The plant possesses ovoid fruits.

Uses: Aghada has diuretic, expectorant and purgative properties. The juice of its leaves is used in fever, cough, diarrhoea, dysentery, dropsy and other diseases. Decoction prepared using the herb is used in stomach ache and bowel complaints, piles, boils, skin eruptions etc.