Distribution and Habitat: It is distributed throughout India.

Botany: A pubescent or nearly glabrous annual or perennial with slender branches climbing by means of tendrillar hooks.

• Leaf: Ternately bicompound, leaflets acuminate at the apex.
• Flower: Small, white coloured.
• Fruit: Brown, membraneous, depressed, pyriform 3-lobed capsule up to 3 cm across, winged at the angles.
• Seed: Black with large white heart shaped aril. 4-5 mm in diameter.

analgesic, diuretic, laxative, stomachic and anti-inflammatory properties. It is used in the treatment of indigestion, constipation, arthritis, ear infections and inflammatory conditions.

Properties:  The plant is antirheumatic and antidote for snakebite. Root is diaphoretic, diuretic, aperient, laxative, rubefacient and emmenagogue. The plant is found to exhibit significant diuretic and anti-inflammatory activity. The plant also shows sedative effect on central nervous system, significant analgesic, vasodepressant and anti-spasmodic effects. The alkaloid fraction from seeds showed antibacterial and hypotensive activities and cardiac inhibition in anaesthetized dogs, blocked spasmogenic effects of acetylcholine histamine and 5-HT on guinea pig ileum, biphasic effect on frog Rectus abdominis muscle.

Chemical constituents: Plant yields saponin. Seeds contain cyanogenic glyceride.

Uses: The entire plant is used in medicine. 

• The roots are useful in strangury, fever, arthritis, amenorrhoea, lumbago and neuropathy.
• The leaves are good for arthritis, otalgia and ophthalmodynia.
• The seeds are good for arthritis and fever.
• The plant has sedative action on the central nervous system.
• Roots and leaves are good for hair growth and are useful in rheumatism, nervous diseases, piles, chronic bronchitis, fevers, hydrocele, amenorrhoea, sprains and oedema.
• Juice of the plant is dropped into the ear in earache.

Formulations: Indravalli, Nilabringadhi tailam 

Propagation: seed