Sarcostemma acidum

Plant profile:

Flower twig of Sarcostemma acidum

Morphological Characteristics

• This plant is almost leafless, straggling, jointed shrub with many branches.
• Stem is cylindrical and 3.0-6.0 mm in diameter.
• It is green, pubescent in young stage and gradually turns glabrous. Internodes are 1.0-3.0 long.
• Leaves are very minute, caducous, adpressed and opposite.

Floral Characteristics

• Flowers are white on sessile umbels at the end of branches.
• Pedicels are 6.0-8.0 mm long, slender and pubescent.
• Bracts are 1.5-2.0 mm long, lanceolate.
• Calyx is divided at the base, sub-actue and margins are revolute.
• Outer corona is crenately 10 lobed on the margins, inner corona lobes thick, fleshy, obtuse and longer than the stamina column, almost concealing the anthers.
• Staminal column is very short and pollen masses are waxy, compressed, falcately flavate.
• Caudicles are short and orange in colour.
• Ovary is glabrous with many ovules and the style apex is shortly conical at the apex.

Distribution

• Plant found in dry places of West Bengal, Rajasthan, Bihar and Peninsular India.

Climate and Soil

• Plant grows in open sun light on rocky sandy soil in arid and semi-arid areas with low rainfall.  The conditions of shade and high moisture is preferable.

Propagation Material

• Stem cuttings with nodes.

Agro-technique

Nursery Technique

• Raising Propagules : During July-September, stem cuttings with nodes are directly planted in the nursery beds. Rootex hormone is used for early rooting of cuttings.

Planting in the Field

• Land Preparation and Manure  Application : Pits are dug at a distance of 1m X 1m and Farm Yard Manure is given @ of 10 kg/plant at the time of plantation as basal dose.

• Transplanting and Optimum  Spacing : Seedlings or stem cuttings are transplanted at a spacing of 1m X 1m between plant to plant and row to row with an optimum crop stand of approximately 100 plants /ha.

• Irrigation Practices : It is a rainfed crop, irrigation is rarely required.

• Weed Control : Manual weeding is required to keep the plantation weed-free.

• Disease and Pest Control : No disease noticed.

Harvest Management

• Crop Maturity and Harvesting : Matured plant can be harvested during November-December with the appearance of matured seeds.

• Post-harvest Management : Whole plants is dried in shade and stored in gunny bags in cool-airy rooms.

• Chemical Constituents : Twigs contain luperol acetate α and β- amyrin acetate and β-sitosterol.

• Yield : The estimated yield of whole plant is about 9 kg fresh wt.

Therapeutic Uses

• Stem is emetic and hypothermic.
• Root acts as antidote for snake-bite and rabid dog bites, mental diseases, sinusitis and rhinitis.

Source : Agro-techniques of Selected Medicinal Plants