Hygrophila auriculata
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Species name: Hygrophila auriculata
Hygrophila auriculata is belongs to the genus Hygrophila whose identity as a separate genus is still debated. H. auriculata is an aquatic, perennial herb which has medicinal properties in treating liver ailments according to Ayurveda.
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- Species identity and nomenclature
- Current Wikipedia entry
- Binomial Classification
- Morphological features
- Habitat and Geographical Spread
- Maps
- Medicinal Importance
- Cultural significance
- Commercial importance and cultivation
- Summary of PubMed articles
- Summary of NCBI molecular data
- External Links
- Images and Videos
| Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
|---|---|---|
| Names of users who have contributed to this species page | Gauravm | |
| Date on which this page was first created | 2010/10/02 | |
| This page was last modified on: | 2 October 2010 19:34:52 | |
| Name of the species | Hygrophila auriculata | |
| ID on Encyclopedia of Life | ||
| Synonyms | Please check Binomial Classification section for synonyms. | |
| Common English Names | Hygrophila, Temple plant, Marsh Barbel | |
| Common Hindi Names | तालीम ख़ाना Talim Khana | |
| Common Indian names | तालीम ख़ाना Talim Khana, Gokula kanta (Hindi);तालीम ख़ाना Talim Khana (Marathi); Nirumuli (Tamil); Voyal-chullai (Malayalam); Kokilakshi (Telugu); Kalavankabija (Kannada); Shulamardan (Bengali); Kalaso(Konkani); कोकिलाक्ष Kokilaksha, Shrinkhali (Sanskrit) | Flowers of India |
| Origins/Meanings of the common names |
Taxonomy from Encyclopedia of Life
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Taxonomy filled in form
Click here for the PDF of the phylogeny
| Taxon | Value |
|---|---|
| Regnum (Kingdom) | Plantae |
| Division | Magnoliophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Scrophulariales |
| Family | Acanthaceae |
| Genus | Hygrophila |
| Source of data | Encyclopedia of Life |
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| Division | Taxon details | Taxon morphology details |
|---|---|---|
| Magnoliophyta | Also called Angiospermae. The ancestors of flowering plants diverged from gymnosperms around 245–202 million years ago, and the first flowering plants known to exist are from 140 million years ago. They diversified enormously during the Lower Cretaceous and became widespread around 100 million years ago, but replaced conifers as the dominant trees only around 60-100 million years ago. | These are seed plants like Gymnosperms, but can be differentiated by the presence of flowers, seeds containing endosperm and seeds that produce a fruit. Angiosperms are the most diverse and highly evolutionarily successful group of land plants. |
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| Class | Taxon details | Taxon morphology details |
|---|---|---|
| Magnoliopsida | Magnoliopsida is the scientific name for dicots. This class contains about ~1,99,350 species of Angiosperms. Eudicots are a subset of Dicots. Based on chloroplast DNA sequences, the divergence date between monocots and dicots is estimated to be ~200 million years, with a 40 million years uncertainty. | Dicots are diverse in habit, with half of all the species being more or less woody-stemmed - a reflection of the usual presence of a vascular cambium in the class. Annuals, biennials, vines, epiphytes, aquatics, parasites, and saprotrophs are also well represented in dicots. Vascular bundles of the stem are usually borne in a ring that encloses the pith. Vessel elements present except in some putatively primitive woody or aquatic families. Most dicots have a primary root system derived from the radicle, although some have an adventitious root system commonly seen in the class of monocots. Cotyledons are usually 2, seldom 1, 3, or 4. Leaves are mostly net-veined. |
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| Order | Taxon details | Taxon morphology details |
|---|---|---|
| Lamiales | Species in this order probably arose ~70-100 million years ago based on various estimates. Lamiales contain ~12% of eudicot diversity. Well-known or economically important members of this order include lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, the ash tree, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, and a number of table herbs such as mint, basil, and rosemary. | Members of this species are herbaceous or shrubby, have mono-symmetric flowers and numerous small seeds. Species in this order typically have the following characteristics, although there are exceptions to all of them - 1) superior ovary composed of two fused carpels 2) five petals fused into a tube 3) bilaterally symmetrical, often bilabiate corollas and 4) four (or fewer) fertile stamens |
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| Family | Taxon details | Taxon morphology details |
|---|---|---|
| Acanthaceae | The family Acanthaceae (or Acanthus family) is one of the most successful Angiosperm dicot taxon. It contains almost 250 genera and 2500-4000 species. These species are mostly distributed in the tropics as herbs, shrubs, or twining vines; some are epiphytes. The representatives of the family can be found in nearly every habitat, including dense or open forests, in scrublands, on wet fields and valleys, at the sea coast and in marine areas, and in swamps and as an element of mangrove woods. | Plants in this family have simple, opposite, decussate leaves with entire (or sometimes toothed, lobed, or spiny) margins, and without stipules. The leaves may contain cystoliths, calcium carbonate concretions, seen as streaks on the surface.
The flowers are perfect, zygomorphic to nearly actinomorphic, and arranged in an inflorescence that is either a spike, raceme, or cyme. Typically there is a colorful bract subtending each flower; in some species the bract is large and showy. The calyx is usually 4-5 lobed; the corolla tubular, 2-lipped or 5-lobed; stamens either 2 or 4 arranged in pairs and inserted on the corolla; and the ovary superior, 2-carpellate, with axile placentation. The fruit is a two-celled capsule, dehiscing somewhat explosively. In most species, the seeds are attached to a small, hooked stalk (a modified funiculus called a jaculator) that ejects them from the capsule. |
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Based on classification
| Family | Taxon details | Taxon morphology details |
|---|---|---|
| Acanthaceae | The family Acanthaceae (or Acanthus family) is one of the most successful Angiosperm dicot taxon. It contains almost 250 genera and 2500-4000 species. These species are mostly distributed in the tropics as herbs, shrubs, or twining vines; some are epiphytes. The representatives of the family can be found in nearly every habitat, including dense or open forests, in scrublands, on wet fields and valleys, at the sea coast and in marine areas, and in swamps and as an element of mangrove woods. | Plants in this family have simple, opposite, decussate leaves with entire (or sometimes toothed, lobed, or spiny) margins, and without stipules. The leaves may contain cystoliths, calcium carbonate concretions, seen as streaks on the surface.
The flowers are perfect, zygomorphic to nearly actinomorphic, and arranged in an inflorescence that is either a spike, raceme, or cyme. Typically there is a colorful bract subtending each flower; in some species the bract is large and showy. The calyx is usually 4-5 lobed; the corolla tubular, 2-lipped or 5-lobed; stamens either 2 or 4 arranged in pairs and inserted on the corolla; and the ovary superior, 2-carpellate, with axile placentation. The fruit is a two-celled capsule, dehiscing somewhat explosively. In most species, the seeds are attached to a small, hooked stalk (a modified funiculus called a jaculator) that ejects them from the capsule. |
More details can be found in the Binomial Classification section.
Morphology from Encyclopedia of Life
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General morphology
| Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
|---|---|---|
| General morphological features of the plant | A stout, suffrutescent, strigose-hispid, upto 80 cm tall herb, armed with 6 axillary, 2-3.5 cm long, straight or curved thorns at each node. Leaves in pseudowhorls of 6, outer 2 larger, sessile, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, (4-) 5-12 (-15) x 1.5-2.5 cm, white-hairy, margins inconspicuously dentate, base cuneate, acute at the apex. Flowers in axillary, whorled fascicles, purplish-blue, c. 2.5 cm long; bracts lanceolate, 2-2.5 cm long, hairy; bracteoles linear, 6-8 mm long, pilose. Calyx 4-lobed, lobes unequal, lanceolate, acute, outer ones longest, 2-2.2 cm long, limb 2-lipped, 5-lipped, 5-lobed, lips subequal, upper lip 2-lobed, lower trilobite, lobes obtuse. Stamens 4, all fertile; anthers oblong, c. 2.5 mm long. Ovary oblong, 8-ovuled, hairy at tip; style filiform, upto 2.5 cm long. Capsule oblong, shorter than calyx, glabrous, 4-8-seeded. Seeds orbicular, c. 3 mm across, on long curved retinacula.
Square stem is an identifying feature of all Hygrophila species (See video)"A stout, suffrutescent, strigose-hispid, upto 80 cm tall herb, armed with 6 axillary, 2-3.5 cm long, straight or curved thorns at each node. Leaves in pseudowhorls of 6, outer 2 larger, sessile, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, (4-) 5-12 (-15) x 1.5-2.5 cm, white-hairy, margins inconspicuously dentate, base cuneate, acute at the apex. Flowers in axillary, whorled fascicles, purplish-blue, c. 2.5 cm long; bracts lanceolate, 2-2.5 cm long, hairy; bracteoles linear, 6-8 mm long, pilose. Calyx 4-lobed, lobes unequal, lanceolate, acute, outer ones longest, 2-2.2 cm long, limb 2-lipped, 5-lipped, 5-lobed, lips subequal, upper lip 2-lobed, lower trilobite, lobes obtuse. Stamens 4, all fertile; anthers oblong, c. 2.5 mm long. Ovary oblong, 8-ovuled, hairy at tip; style filiform, upto 2.5 cm long. Capsule oblong, shorter than calyx, glabrous, 4-8-seeded. Seeds orbicular, c. 3 mm across, on long curved retinacula. Square stem is an identifying feature of all Hygrophila species (See video)" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki. |
EoL through eFloras.org |
| Seed dispersal mechanism | Entomophily (By insects) | |
|---|---|---|
| Bloom type | Perennial | |
| Life cycle of the plant | Grows from August to March. | EoL through eFloras |
How to identify this species
For a detailed description, refer to the General Morphology details above
| Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
|---|---|---|
| Type of plant | Herb | |
| Plant height | Up to 3 feet | |
| Flower color | Blue, Lavender/Purple | |
| Flower shape | ||
| Floral symmetry | ||
| Phyllotaxy of leaves | Whorled | |
| Leaf shape | Lanceolate | EoL through eFloras |
| Is the leaf petiolated or sessile? | Sessile | EoL through eFloras |
| Is the leaf simple or compound? | Simple | EoL through eFloras |
| Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
|---|---|---|
| IUCN Conservation Status | Not Evaluated | EoL |
| Indian States in which the species has been documented | ||
| Locations at which the species has been documented | ||
| Biotic zones inhabited | ||
| Details about the habitat | Is a wild aquatic plant. Grows near ponds, lakes, ditches, paddy-fields. Is an attractive foliage for pond margins. | |
| Is this species native to India? | ||
| Is the species indigenous/endemic to Sub-Himalayan regions? | ||
| Is the species indigenous/endemic to Western Ghats? | ||
| Is the species indigenous/endemic to Eastern Ghats? |
|
Plant is not native or native status not filled in |
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| Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
|---|---|---|
| Does this species have any medicinal use? | Yes |
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Other plants of the same family having medicinal use:
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| Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
|---|---|---|
| General types of ailments this species is used for treating | Infectious diseases, Pains and Inflammation, Common ailments, Organ-specific disorders | |
| Specific ailments for which the species is used | Jaundice, Diuretic, Dropsy, Rheumatism, Urinogenital disorders, Hepatitis, Skin diseases | Himalaya |
| Medicinal systems which use this plant | Ayurveda, Folk Medicine | Himalaya |
| Details of Medicinal use | For treating skin diseases, dried leaf powder mixed with castor oil is applied on the affected region twice a day. (Unsupported claim) | |
| Parts of the plant used for treatment | Root, Leaves, Seeds | Himalaya |
| Names of some medicinal active compounds in this plant, if known. | ||
| Details of the active chemical compounds found in this plant | High concentration of Potassium and mucilage are two of active components. | |
| Is the molecular basis of the medicinal action known? | Yes | |
| Details of molecular basis of action | The molecular basis is not clearly understood. However, the alcoholic and aqueous extracts of seeds has been shown to be hepato-protective. Feeding diabetic mice with aerial parts of the plant also leads to increase in hepato-protective compounds such as Glutathione and enzymes such as Glutathione Peroxidase in the kidney and liver. This antioxidant action could be responsible for its popularity in liver-protective medicines. | Vijaykumar04 |
| Are the toxic effects of consumption of this plant known? | ||
| Details of the toxic effects of the plant species | ||
| Have there been validation/clinical studies related to this plant? | ||
| Details of the clinical studies related to the plant species |
| Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
|---|---|---|
| Is this plant/plant-derived product used in food preparations? | ||
| Part(s) of the plant used in the food preparations | ||
| Details of use in food preparations | ||
| Does this species have any religious significance? | ||
| Religions which mention/give significance to this species | ||
| Religious occasions | ||
| Details of religious use |
| Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
|---|---|---|
| Is this plant cultivated commercially in India? | Yes | |
| Uses for which the plant is commercially cultivated | Medicinal use, Ornamental use | |
| Plant parts of commercial value | Entire plant, Root, Leaves, Seeds | |
| Products where this plant is used | User-reported | |
| Description of use | As described previously, the plant parts can be used to treat liver ailments. In addition, the plant also bears beautiful blue-colored flowers and hence can be used in aquariums and artificial ponds as an ornamental plant. | AHS Encyclopedia |
| States where this plant is cultivated commercially | ||
| Best period for planting this plant | Summer, Monsoon | |
| Best period for harvesting this plant | Summer, Monsoon, Post-monsoon | |
| Method of propagation | Seeds, Vegetative propagation | |
| Water requirement of this plant | High | |
| Pests and Diseases affecting this plant during cultivation | Water snails | AHS Encyclopedia |
| Other considerations while cultivating this plant | The plant can be grown outdoors in pond margins or in the mud at the base of the pond. However, it needs full light to grow. In aquariums, the plant needs to be grown in containers at the margins of a pool or submerged in bright filtered light with 20-24C water temperature.
The plant can be divided in summer. The stem-tips or softwood cuttings can be rooted in summer. The leaves which get detached and float around can also form roots. |
AHS Encyclopedia |
Pubmed Word cloud
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- If there is an error message below, it means that there is no retrievable information available on NCBI
- If the number of nucleotide sequences is less than 100, very little genomic work has been done on this species. A respectable number of nucleotide sequences is above 10000.
- Most of the nucleotide sequences may come from three sources:
- Studies on single genes, where people try to sequence genes such as some specific dehydrogenases important,say, for tannin production
- Sequences of Ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer, whose sequence is used for generating molecular phylogenetic trees to establish species relationships
- Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) which can tell about which genes are present and expressed in the species at a particular time in the given tissue
{{#queryDB:taxonomy |Hygrophila auriculata }}
| Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
|---|---|---|
| Details of modern scientific knowledge available for this species | Mostly, activities of extracts on mice or cell cultures is known. Not much else. | Gauravm |
| Are herbarium specimen available for this species? | ||
| Institutes having herbarium samples |
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References
Vijaykumar04 (Journal) : Vijaykumar et al (6 April 2006),Action of Hygrophila auriculata against streptozotocin-induced oxidative stress, Journal of Ethnopharmacology:104(3):356. doi=10.1016/j.jep.2005.09.030
AHS Encyclopedia (Book) : American Horticulture Society (2004),', ISBN: 9780756649159
Encyclopedia of Life (Web): EoL entry on this species, Accessdate=2010-10-02
Himalaya (Web): Himalaya Healthcare Monograph on H. auriculata, Accessdate=2010-10-02
Flowers of India (Web): Flowers of India entry on Marsh Barbel, Accessdate=2010-10-02
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