Description
Fumitory is an annual, glaucous, with a sub erect, much branched, spreading, leafy and angular stem.
Indian Fumitory is a delicate much-branched annual herb with clusters of tiny pale-pinkish to whitish flowers, each 5-6 mm long. Sepals are minute. Upper petal has short, somewhat down-curved sac-like spur. Flower-stalks are erect, as long or slightly shorter than the laceshaped bracts.
Leaves are 2-3 times cut into narrow pointed segments, about 1 mm broad. Stems are glaucous, leafy, 5-30 cm long. Fruit is round, about 2 mm. Indian Fumitory is found throughout the Himalayas, up to altitudes of 2400 m. Flowering: April-May. The leaves are mostly alternate. The gray-green leaves are divided into triangular toothed leaflets. At the top of the branches stand many small flowers, as it were in a long spike one above another, made like little birds, of a reddish purple colour, with whitish bellies, after which come small round husks, containing small black seeds.The root is small, yellow and not very long, and full of juice when it is young.Plant Specifications
*above specification are indicative only. actual dimensions may vary by +-10%
| Common Name | Indian Fumitory,Pid-papra, Shahtra,papara,Pit papra,Parpatakam,Dhukure, Parpata, Parpatakah,Chatarashi, Dhukure, Koire Kuro,Shampu Phool, Fumaria indica (Hausskn.) Pugsley Fumaria indica |
| Maximum Reachable Height | 10-15 inches. |
| Flower Colour | Pale-pinkish to whitish flowe |
| Bloom Time | May to September |
| Difficulty Level | easy |
Planting and care
Indian Fumitory, care
| Sunlight | Sunny |
| Watering | medium |
| Soil | Light and well-drained soil. |
| Temperature | medium |
Indian Fumitory, uses
Medicinal Use:
- The plant is sold under the name pitpapra in Ayurvedic bazaars
- It is also used in the Unani system of medicine and incorporated into trifala shahtara
- Indian Fumitory is used in aches and pains, diarrhoea, fever, influenza and liver complaints
- The herb mixed with honey mar be taken internally to prevent vomiting
- A cold infusion of the plant is used to treat wasting diseases of children and to help cooling during fever and in the treatment of constipation and dyspepsia
- It is used as a blood purifier for skin diseases and applied externally in leucoderma and as a fomentation for swollen joints
- The dried plant is also used as an anthelmintic, diuretic and diaphoretic and, in combination with black pepper, for jaundice