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Achyranthes aspera
  • Devil's Horsewhip

an annual member of the Achyranthes genus in the family Amaranthaceae.

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Niche
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    The ecosystem niches for this plant are unknown. Do you know them? Click the edit button to add them!
Functions
  • None
    None
    There are no functions defined for this plant. Do you know of some? Click the edit button to add them!
Light
  • Full sun
    Full sun
    The amount of sun exposure that a plant prefers in ideal conditions.
    Key
  • light shade
    Light shade
    The amount of shade a plant will tolerate without adverse health affects.
    Key
Water
  • Water Requirementsmoderate
    Moderate
    The amount of water a plant needs for healthy growth, relative to other plants.
    Key
Soil
  • acid,neutral,alkaline
    Unknown
    The PH range (acidity or alkilinity) of the growth medium ideal for healthy nutrient absorbtion.
    Key
  • Sandy to Clay
    The soil texture this plant prefers for optimal growth.
    Key
Cold & Heat
  • ?
    Unknown
    The USDA Hardiness scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the minimum temperature a plant can survive.
    Key
    0< -53.9ºC< -65ºF
    1-51.1ºC-60ºF
    2-45.6ºC-50F
    3-40ºC-40ºF
    4-34.4ºC-30ºF
    5-28.9ºC-20ºF
    6-23.3ºC-10ºF
    7-17.8ºC0ºF
    8-12.2C10ºF
    9-6.7ºC20ºF
    10-1.1ºC30ºF
    114.4ºC40ºF
    12> 10ºC> 5ºF
  • ?
    Unknown
    The AHS Heat scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the number of days per year a plant requires a temperature exceeding 30ºC (86ºF).
    Key
    11
    21 - 7
    38 - 14
    415 - 30
    531 - 45
    646 - 60
    761 - 90
    891 - 120
    9121 - 150
    10151 - 180
    11181 - 210
    12181 - 210
Achyranthes aspera has 0 edible uses listed
Achyranthes aspera has 0 material uses listed
Achyranthes aspera has 0 medicinal uses listed

Uses

Edible uses

Notes

Leaves - cooked[1][2]. Used as a spinach substitute[3]. Seed - cooked[1][2]. he seeds are said to be eaten with milk in order to check hunger without loss of body weight[4].

Leaves

Unknown use

Seed

Unknown use

Material uses

The ash from the burnt plant, often mixed with mustard oil and a pinch of salt, is used as a tooth powder for cleaning teeth[4].

The dried twigs are used as toothbrushes[4].

The ash of the burnt plant is a rich source of potash. It is used for washing clothes[4].

Unknown part

Dental care
Soap

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

One of the more important mdicinal herbs of Nepal, it is widely used in the treatment of a range of complaints.

Ophthalmic[5]. The root is astringent, diuretic and antispasmodic[5][6][4]. It is used in the treatment of dropsy, rheumatism, stomach problems, cholera, skin diseases and rabies[5][4]. The juice extracted from the root of this plant, mixed with the root of Urena lobata and the bark of Psidium guajava, is used in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery[4]. The plant is astringent, digestive, diuretic, laxative, purgative and stomachic[4]. The juice of the plant is used in the treatment of boils, diarrhoea, dysentery, haemorrhoids, rheumatic pains, itches and skin eruptions[4]. The ash from the burnt plant, often mixed with mustard oil and a pinch of salt, is used as a tooth powder for cleaning teeth[4]. It is believed to relieve pyorrhea and toothache[4].

The leaf is emetic and a decoction is used in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery[4]. A paste of the leaves is applied in the treatment of rabies, nervous disorders, hysteria, insect and snake bites[4].

Unknown part

Odontalgic
Astringent
Diuretic
Antispasmodic

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Ecological Functions

Nothing listed.

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in situ.

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Achyranthes aspera. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.



Cultivation

Cultivated as a food crop in China[3]. See also [7] and [8].

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Achyranthes aspera. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.

Polycultures & Guilds

There are no polycultures listed which include Achyranthes aspera.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

Taxonomy
Binomial name
Achyranthes aspera
Genus
Achyranthes
Family
Amaranthaceae
Imported References
Edible uses
[1][2][3][4]
Medicinal uses
[5][6][4]
Material uses & Functions
[4]
Botanic
[8][9]
Propagation
Cultivation
Environment
Cultivation
Uses
Edible uses
None listed.
Material uses
None listed.
Medicinal uses
None listed.
Functions & Nature
Functions
Provides forage for
Provides shelter for
Environment
Hardiness Zone
?
Heat Zone
?
Water
moderate
Sun
full sun
Shade
light shade
Soil PH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Soil Texture
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil Water Retention
Environmental Tolerances
    Ecosystems
    Native Climate Zones
    None listed.
    Adapted Climate Zones
    None listed.
    Native Geographical Range
    None listed.
    Native Environment
    None listed.
    Ecosystem Niche
    None listed.
    Root Zone Tendancy
    None listed.
    Life
    Deciduous or Evergreen
    ?
    Herbaceous or Woody
    ?
    Life Cycle
    annual
    Growth Rate
    ?
    Mature Size
    0.9 x meters
    Fertility
    ?
    Pollinators
    ?
    Flower Colour
    ?
    Flower Type
    hermaphrodite

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    References

    1. ? 1.01.11.2 Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana ISBN 0-00-634436-4 (1976-00-00)
    2. ? 2.02.12.2 Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books ISBN 3874292169 (1984-00-00)
    3. ? 3.03.13.2 Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre (1977-00-00)
    4. ? 4.004.014.024.034.044.054.064.074.084.094.104.114.124.134.144.15 Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. ISBN 0-88192-527-6 (2002-00-00)
    5. ? 5.05.15.25.3 Lassak. E. V. and McCarthy. T. Australian Medicinal Plants. ()
    6. ? 6.06.1 Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre ()
    7. ? Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. (1986-00-00)
    8. ? 8.08.1 ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press (1964-00-00)
    9. ? Carolin. R. & Tindale. M. Flora of the Sydney Region Reed. Australia. ISBN 0730104001 (1993-00-00)

    "image:Achyranthes aspera0.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.

    Retrieved from "http://practicalplants.org/w/index.php?title=Achyranthes_aspera&oldid=74679"
    Facts about "Achyranthes aspera"RDF feed
    Article is incompleteYes +
    Article requires citationsNo +
    Article requires cleanupYes +
    Belongs to familyAmaranthaceae +
    Belongs to genusAchyranthes +
    Has common nameDevil's Horsewhip +
    Has drought toleranceIntolerant +
    Has edible partLeaves + and Seeds +
    Has edible useUnknown use +
    Has flowers of typeHermaphrodite +
    Has imageAchyranthes aspera0.jpg +
    Has lifecycle typeAnnual +
    Has material partUnknown part +
    Has material useDental care + and Soap +
    Has mature height0.9 +
    Has medicinal partUnknown part +
    Has medicinal useOdontalgic +, Astringent +, Diuretic + and Antispasmodic +
    Has primary imageAchyranthes aspera0.jpg +
    Has search nameachyranthes aspera + and x +
    Has shade toleranceLight shade +
    Has soil ph preferenceAcid +, Neutral + and Alkaline +
    Has soil teclayture preferenceClay +
    Has soil teloamyture preferenceLoamy +
    Has soil tesandyture preferenceSandy +
    Has sun preferenceFull sun +
    Has taxonomy nameAchyranthes aspera +
    Has water requirementsmoderate +
    Is taxonomy typeSpecies +
    Tolerates nutritionally poor soilNo +
    Uses mature size measurement unitMeters +