2. Amaranthus viridus:
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Amarnthus viridus:
Common name: Pig weed
Scientific name: Amaranthus viridis
Characteristics: It is
an erect, perennial broadleaf herb, growing up to
75 to 100cm high.
• Stem: It has cylindrical, smooth stem.
Leaves: Alternate leaves, long-petiolated, 4 to
10cm long with a broad base, 1.5 to 5.5cm wide.
• Fruit: The fruit is a capsule, 1.2mm long and 1mm
large, with one seed. The upper side of
the fruit has a short stigma divided into threepieces.
Seeds: seeds are 1 to 1.25mm in diameter, brown
or black, shiny, slightly compressed,.
• Uses: It is used as vegetable.
3. Achyranthus aspera
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Achyranthus aspera
Common name: Prickly chaff flower
Scientific Name: Achyranthes aspera
Characteristics: It is an erect, branched herbs or
under shrubs, up to 15 cm. high It grows as
wasteland herb everywhere
Stem: It has an angular, more or less densely hairy
stem.
Leaves: Leaves are opposite, or rounded at apex.
Seeds: Seeds are Deflexed, congested near the
apex of the axis, perfect, bracts and bracteoles sub
equal.
Uses:
It is Seeds rich in protein, cooked and eaten.
It is used in religious ceremonies in India.
4. Boerhaavia diffusa
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Boerhaavia diffusa:
Common name: Punarnava
Scientific Name: Boerhavia diffusa
Characteristics: It is a species of flowering plant. It
is a perennial herb. The Boerhavia diffusa plant
grows throughout India, as a weed in water lands
and road sides.
Leaves: two leaves on each node are present, one
smaller than the other.
Flowers: The flowers are very small, reddish or
whitish. The plant flowers and fruits in monsoon.
Uses:
The leaves of Boerhavia diffusa are often used as a
green vegetable in many parts of India.
It is a folk medicine and super-food.
5. Convolvulus arvensis:
• Convolvulus arvensis:
• Common name: Field bindweed
• Scientific Name: Convolvulus arvensis
• Characteristics: Convolvulus arvensis is a perennial plant is a
that produces stems 2-4cm' long.
• Leaves: Leaf size and shape are variable, but generally the
leaves are 1 to 2 inches long, smooth and shaped like an
arrowhead.
• Flowers: Flowers are funnel-shaped, about 1 inch diameter,
and white or pink in color. The flower stalk has two small
bracts located ½ to 2 inches below the flower.
• Stem: The twining stems vary from 1.5 to 6 feet or more in
length. The stems are sometimes hairy .
• Uses:
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Field Bindweed is an attractive plant while it is in flower, but
it can be very aggressive and persistent and used as an
ornamental plant.
6. Mentha longifolia
• Mentha longifolia:
• Common name: wild mint
• Scientific name: Mentha longifolia
• Characteristics: Mentha longifolia or wild mint is a fastgrowing, perennial. It can reach up to 1.5 m high in
favourable conditions, but is usually between 0.5-1 m high
and even shorter in dry conditions.
• Leaves: The leaves are formed in pairs opposite each other
along the square-shaped and from light and dark green to
grey in color. Leaves are between 45-100 mm long and 7-20
mm wide.
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Flower: The flowers are 3–5 mm long, purplish, or white,
produced in dense clusters on tall, branched, flowering in mid
to late summer.
• Uses:
• Wild mint is a popular traditional medicine. It is mainly used
for respiratory ailments but many other uses have also been
recorded.
• It is mostly the leaves that are used, usually to make a tea.
7. Euphorbia prostrata:
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Euphorbia prostrata:
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Common name: Prostrate sand mat
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Scientific name: Euphorbia prostrata
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Characteristics:
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Euphorbia prostrata is a species known by the common name
prostrate sand mat. it can be found in varied habitat types and in many
areas grows as a roadside weed. This is an annual herb.
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Stem: it produce slender prostrate stems up to about 20 centimeters
long, sometimes purple in color.
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Leaves: The oval-shaped leaves are up to a centimeter long with finely
toothed edges.
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Flower: There are four male flowers and a single female flower, the
latter developing into a lobed, hairy fruit one to two millimeters wide.
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Use:
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Euphorbia prostrata extract has been found effective for treatment of
bleeding hemorrhoids due to its contents of flavonoids and phenolic
acids.
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8. Galium verum
• Galium verum:
• Common name: Lady's Bedstraw or Yellow Bedstraw
• Scientific name: Galium verum
• Characteristics:
• It is an herbaceous perennial plant of the family Rubiaceae,
native to Europe and Asia. It is a low scrambling plant.
• Stem: it has stems growing to 60–120 centimeters long,
frequently rooting where they touch the ground.
• Leaves: The leaves are 1–3 cm long and 2 millimeters broad,
shiny dark green, hairy underneath, borne in whorls of 8–12.
• Flowers: The flowers are 2–3 mm in diameter, yellow, and
produced in dense clusters.
• Uses:
• The plant is also used to make red madder-like and yellow
dyes.
• The flowers were also used to coagulate milk in cheese
manufacture.
9. Anagallis arvensis
• Anagallis arvensis:
• Common name: Scarlet Pimpernel
• Scientific name: Anagallis arvensis
• Characteristics:
• Anagallis arvensis also known as red pimpernel is a low-growing
annual plant.
• Stem: Scarlet pimpernel has weak sprawling stems growing to
about 50 cm long,
• Leaves: It bear bright green ovate sessile leaves in opposite pairs.
• Flowers: The small orange, red or blue flowers are produced in
the leaf axils from spring to autumn. Pimpernel flowers are open
only when the sun shines.
• Uses:
• The squeezed plant in Nepal is used for bathing and washing.
• Leaves are cooked and used as a spinach. The tender shoots are
cooked as a vegetable.
10. Coriandrum sativum
• Coriander:
• Common name: Coriander:
• Scientific name: coriandrum sativum
• Characteristics:
• Coriander is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. . It is a
soft plant growing to 50 cm tall.
• Leaves: The leaves are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the
base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the
flowering stems.
• Flower: The flowers are borne in small umbels, white or very
pale pink, asymmetrical, with the petals pointing away from
the center of the umbel.
• Fruit: The fruit is a globular, dry 3–5 mm in diameter.
• Uses:
• It is a rich source of Iron, Magnesium, and Non organic
Phosphorus.
• They are used as a flavoring in salads, soups etc.
