An erect leafy plant, usually prickly towards the base.

The seeds yield a greenish yellow, semidrying oil. They are used for coughs and as a decoction for insomnia. The seeds are also reported to possess hypnotic and antipyretic properties.

A small, erect, softly pubescent herb.

The seeds contain flavonoids, kaempferol-3-a-L-rhamnopyranoside-7-O-ß-glucopyranoside and kaempferol- 7-O-rutinoside, saccharides, ciceritol (manninotriose, a-D-galactopyranosyl-(1->6)-a-D-galactopyranosyl-(1->2)-4-O-methyl- chiro-inositol), D-glucose, D-fructose, sucrose, raffinose, stachyose and verbascose, and sterol, 24-methylene-25-methylcholesterol.

The paste of the seeds is a cleansing application on the face.

It's principal constituents are Leptadenol , n-triacontane, cetyl alcohol, ß-sitosterol, ß-amyrin acetate, lupanol 3-O –diglucoside and leptidin. The plant is stimulant and restorative and shows anti-bacterial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

The plant is a narrow bulbous herb with few narrow subequal fleshy scales.

It has soothing, astringent and anti-inflammatory properties. The bulbs are sweet, bitter, refrigerant, galactagogue, expectorant, aphrodisiac, diuretic, antipyretic and tonic. They are useful in agalatia, cough, bronchitis, vitiated conditions of pitta, seminal weakness, strangury, burning sensation, hyperdipsia, intermittent fevers, hematemesis, rheumatalgia and general disability.

It is an erect, herb, cultivated for its oily seeds. Leaves narrow and entire. Flowers are large, blue or bluish violet and entire. Flowers are large, blue or bluish violet and pentamerous in terminal panicles. Stamens 5 and alternating with staminodes. Fruits capsular, with five cells, each containing 2 seeds. Seeds are yellowish or blackish brown, small, flattened, oval, with smooth and shining seed coat and small albumen. It is cultivated throughout India.

It is used internally in habitual constipation, functional disorders of the colon resulting from the misuse of laxatives and irritable colon, as a demulcent preparation in gastritis and enteritis. Externally, the powdered seeds or the press-cake are used as an emollient, in poultices for boils, carbuncles and other skin afflictions.

A special process makes the iron easy to assimilate for the elderly. A powerful hematinic indicated in anemia, it stimulates the appetite and has a general vitalizing effect.