Safed santo
A common succulent prostrate annual herb on damp waste places of saline,
non saline areas, gardens and croplands. Stem often purple tinged. Leaves in unequal pairs and often with a red marginal line. Flowers, solitary axillary, pinkish white and enclosed by enlarged leaf bases. Fruit a capsule, consists of 5-10 reniform seeds. Seeds black kidney shaped covered with minute out growth. Flowering and fruiting in August to December.
Part used: Whole plant
Usage: Plant is used for the diseases of stomach, in rheumatism, dropsy and swelling of the body caused by disorder of liver or kidney. Decoction of plant effective in night blindness. Leaves eaten as vegetable for eye
problems. Leaves diuretic and used in dropsy and oedema. Root paste is used externally for treating itching, corneal ulcer and night blindness. Roots infusion cures constipation and dropsy.
Agrotechniques: It is normally a weed and hence collected from nature. No specific Agrotechniques are available.