Boraginaceae FAMILY

Trichodesma indicum

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

No specific mention of toxicity has been seen for this species, but many members of this plant family (Boraginaceae) are known to contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids. These alkaloids have a cumulative effect upon the body and, unless concentrations in a plant are high, occasional use is generally completely safe. They are derived from amino acids including ornithine. Many pyrrolizidine alkaloids have pronounced hepatic toxicity, but the lungs and other organs may be affected as well. Mutagenic and carcinogenic activities of pyrrolizidine alkaloids have also been reported[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ].

Botanical Description

Trichodesma indicum is an erect, spreading, branched annual plant; it grows about 50cm tall[ 372 Title Flowers of India Publication Author Website http://www.flowersofindia.net/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A wed site of native Indian plants, plus cultivated and naturalized species. It has good quality photos and terse details on more than 3,000 species and cultivars. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and sometimes as a food.

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeIndian Ocean - Mauritius; W. Asia - Afghanistan; E. Asia - Pakistan, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar.

HabitatRoadsides and stony dry wastelands, at elevations up to 1,500 metres[ 372 Title Flowers of India Publication Author Website http://www.flowersofindia.net/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A wed site of native Indian plants, plus cultivated and naturalized species. It has good quality photos and terse details on more than 3,000 species and cultivars. ].