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Sphaeranthus, Mundi

East Indian Globe Thistle
Mundi (Ayurveda)
Mundi, Gorakh Mundi (Unani)
Kottakarthai (Siddha)
Rong Mao Dai Xing Cao (TCM)
Sphaeranthus indicus
K.R. Kirtikar, B.D. Basu, Indian medicinal plants (1918)

Sphaeranthus indicus
(Photo by Vinayaraj) (Wikimedia)

Botanical name:
Sphaeranthus spp.
  1. S. indicus (syn. S. senegalensis, S. hirtus)
Also reportedly used are:
  2. S. amaranthoides
  3. S. africanus

Parts used:
Leaf or Whole herb (most used); Flower; rarely Seed or Bark (Ayurveda)
Leaf, Flower and Whole plant have separate listing in API.
Whole herb is used in TCM

Temperature & Taste:
Warm, moist. Sweet, Pungent, Bitter, Astringent (API)

Uses:
1. Clears Heat and Damp, Promotes Urine: (TCM, Ayurveda)
-Urinary Tract Infection; burning, painful or difficult Urination (TCM)
-suppressed, frequent or turbid urination (leaf, flowers, API)
-Syphilis with painful urine, given decoction orally and inject into the urethra
-clears Bile humor

2. Benefits the Stomach, Clear Food Stagnation: (TCM, Ayurveda)
-Indigestion (TCM, Ayurveda)
-Vomiting (API)
-Amaroga (undigested food residue) (Ayurveda)

3. Clears Phlegm, Resolves Swellings: (Unani, Ayurveda)
-Scrofula, Lymphadenitis, enlarged Cervical glands (API); Goiter
-chronic skin diseases, Leprosy (API)
-Spleen obstruction of swelling; Tumors

4. Clears Wind-Heat and Toxin: (Ayurveda)
-Cold, Flu, Cough, Bronchitis; chronic Sinusitis
-Fever (decoction)
-Diarrhea, Dysentery with Blood (root)

5. Settles Wind, Stops Spasms, Eases Pain: (Unani, Ayurveda)
-settles Wind; used for Vata disorders (flowers, Ayurveda)
-Headache, Migraine
-Rheumatism
-Epilepsy

6. Benefits Qi and Blood: (Unani, Ayurveda)
-female diseases, anemia
-traditionally regarded as Rasayana and Rejuvenating; increases Strength; Impotence
-Cardiac and Brain tonic; Melancholy
-improves vision (flower)i

7. Kills Worms: (Unani, Ayurveda)
-Parasites, Filaria (leaf, API; Root, seed, Unani)
-Scabies (topically)

8. Externally:
-leaf paste is applied to minor cuts and wounds
-filtered leaf juice is applied to Conjunctivitis
-fruit paste is applied to forehead in Migraine
-burning herb is used as a mosquito repellent
-herb is smoked for Asthma (Folk)


DOSE:
3–6 grams of the Leaf (API)
Juice: 10–50mls
Distilled Water of the Flowers: 10–20 mls (API)

SUBSTITUTE:
1. Sphaeranthus has been used as a substitute for Doronicum in Unani.
2. Sphaeranthus is regarded as a substitute for Tricholepis glaberrima and Tephrosia purpurea
3. Echinops echinatus

CORRECTIVE:
Eclipta (Unani)

Main Combinations:
1. Skin diseases:
i. Sphaeranthus with Fumitory
ii. Sphaeranthus with Neem, Swertia
2. Migraine, gently heat the juice, add Black Pepper and take before meals
3. For Breast development, and for Sagging Breasts, Sphaeranthus and Long Pepper are boiled in Sesame oil and applied topically. (Ayurveda)

Major Formulas:
Arq Musaffi (Unani)
Itrifal Mundi (Unani)
Majun Mundi (Unani)

Cautions:
None noted

Main Preparations used:
Distilled Water

1. Distilled Water of Spaeranthus (Arq Mundi)
  Soak 1 kg flowers in 8 litres of water; distil off 5 litres of distillate
Some add 1 kg of fresh rose petals to the above before distillation).
Dose 125 ml.
It is Cepahalic, a Brain and Heart tonic, Cardiac stimulant and used to improve eyesight.