Argemone mexicana Linn. (Mexican poppy)

Argemone mexicana Linn.

Medicinal weed ""Satyanashi"" :- POISONOUS PLANT !!

COMMON NAME: Mexican poppy, Mexican prickly poppy, Flowering thistle, Argemone mexicana Linn. known as Ghamoya is an indigenous herb found in India.

BOTANICAL NAME : Argemone mexicana Linn.

FAMILY: Papaveraceae

HABITAT : Habitat: In India it is introducd and naturalised and occur as wasteland weed in almost every part of India. In many parts it is repoorted as crop weed also. Weedy in disturbed areas in waste places, roadsides, old fields, pastures, barnyards, gardens.

RELATED SPECIES: It is native of Tropcal America. The genus Argemone includes 12 species. Some major species are: A. alba Lestib. ( used medicinally in North America ), A. platyceras Link. & Otto., A. grandiflora Sweet.

DESCRIPTION: It is a prickly, glabrous, branching herb with yellow juice and showy yellow flowers, The Sanskrit name svarnakshiri is given because of the yellow juice (Svarna - Gold; Kshiri - Juice ). The height of this plant varies between 0.3 to 0.12 meters, Leaves are thistlelike.

STEM AND LEAF :Stem clasping, Oblong, sinuately pinnatifid ( multiply cut, spiny, with white viens) , spinous and viens are white.

FLOWER: Flowers are terminal, yellow and of 2.5–5.0 cm diameter.

FRUIT: Fruits are capsule. Prickly and oblong ovoid. Seeds numerous, globose, netted and brownish black.

Flowering time is all round the year in Indian conditions. The plants is toxic to animals and cattle avoid grazing this plant. Harmful allelopathic effects of Argemone mexicana on germination and seedling vigour of wheat, mustard, fenugreek, sorghum, fingermillet, tomato, cucumber etc. (important crops in India ) have been reported. The allelochemicals cinnamic and benzoic acid are identified as harmful chemicals responsible for inhibition of germination and seedling vigor.

USEFUL PARTS: Roots, leaves, seeds and yellow juice.

TOXICITY: The seeds resemble the seeds of Brassica nigra (mustard). As a result, mustard can be adulterated by argemone seeds, rendering it poisonous. Several significant instances of katkar poisoning have been reported in India, Fiji, South Africa and other countries. The last major outbreak in India occurred in 1998. 1% adulteration of mustard oil by argemone oil has been shown to cause clinical disease.
Katkar oil poisoning causes epidemic dropsy, with symptoms including extreme swelling, particularly of the legs.

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES AND USES: According to Ayurveda the plant is diuretic. purgative and destroys worms. It cures lepsory, skin-diseases, inflammations and bilious fevers. Roots are anthelmintic. Juice is used to cure ophthalmia and opacity of cornea. Seeds are purgative and sedative. Seeds resemble mustard seeds and in India it is used to adulterate mustard seed. Seed yield non edible toxic oil and causes lethal dropsy when used with mustard oil for cooking.

In Homoeopathic system of medicine, the drug prepared from this herb is used to treat the problem caused by tape-worm.

POPULAR AYURVEDIC FORMULATIONS: Svarnakshiri churna and tail

OTHER USES: The plant is found suitable for the reclamation of alkaline soils.

Dried and powdered plants are recommended as green manure as it contain sufficient amount of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium.

Oilcake is used as manure.

Seed oil, popularly known as Satyanashi oil is used as an illuminant, lubricant, in soapmaking, and for protection from termites.

CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS: The plant contains alkaloids as berberine, protopine, sarguinarine, optisine, chelerytherine etc. The seed oil contains myristic, palmitic, oleic, linoleic acids etc.

SOURCES: 
(1)http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/Argemme.htm

(2)http://www.pharmainfo.net/reviews/argemone-mexicana-linn-ghamoya-weed-having-great-therapeutic-values-folk-remedies

(3)http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/CropFactSheets/argemone.html