Botanical Name: Chrysopogon aciculatus
Family: Poaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Poales
Genus: Chrysopogon
Species: C. aciculatus
Synonyms:
*Andropogon aciculatus
*Raphis acicularis
Common Names: Amorseco (Spanish, “dry love”) (not to be confused with the amor seco tree, Alchornea glandulosa), Lesser spear grass, Mackie’s pest, pilipiliula, and Grama-amorosa (Brazilian Portuguese)
In Bengal it is perhaps called Chorkanta
Habitat : Chrysopogon aciculatus is native to the tropics of Asia, Polynesia, and Australia at low elevations.
Description:
Chrysopogon aciculatus is a vigorous perennial grass with stout rhizomes, It forms a sward and spreads rapidly by means of extensively creeping rhizomeswidely considered an invasive species, but some cultures use it for medicinal purposes.
Its flowering stems are about 20 to 60 centimeters high and its leaves are linear-lanceolate and about 3 to 10 centimeters long by 4 to 6 centimeters wide. The panicles are purplish, open and with few whorled branches and can reach about 5 centimeters long, bearing few-flowered spikes. The sessile spikelet is very narrow, about 3 millimeters long. The callus is elongated and barbed and the fourth glume is linear, acuminate, and awned.
Medicinal Uses: Fresh rhizome-paste mixed with black pepper (Piper nigrum) seeds (ca. 9 seeds) paste is given at early morning in empty stomach
to cure stomach-ache and gastric disorder by the Santals.
Other Uses: The plant is sometimes used locally for weaving into mats, hats etc, and has often been cultivated as a lawn grass and to prevent soil erosion
Known Hazards: The plant can annoy and injure humans and animals due to its needle-sharp prickly spikelets that stick to clothing or fur and can penetrate the skin The seeds work through clothing and can cause irritating sores.
Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplement, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysopogon_aciculatus
http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Chrysopogon+aciculatus
http://www.crdeepjournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Vol-3-3-1-IJBAS.pdf
