Amaranthaceae · Aerva

Polpola

Aerva lanata

HerboutdoorMedicinal
Habit
Herb
Found in India
Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh & more
Flowering
August-January

Plant Details

Scientific name
Aerva lanata
Genus
Aerva
Habit
Herb
Distribution
Tropics of the World
Found in India
Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand
Flowering & fruiting
August-January
Conservation status
Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf arrangement
AlternaterecordedOne leaf per node, arranged in a spiral or zigzag up the stem.The often stalkless leaves are alternate, oval and 0.5 to 1.5 in (13 to 38 mm) long. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf shape
Simple oval/lance-shapedrecorded

Typical of the family

Simple type leaf character
Type
Simple
Entire margin leaf character
Margin
Entire
Pinnate venation leaf character
Venation
Pinnate

Characters marked “recorded” are for Polpola itself; the rest are typical of the Amaranthaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower arrangement
Spike (stalkless flowers along a stem)recorded

Typical of the family

Inflorescence
Spike
Fruit
Achene

Characters marked “recorded” are for Polpola itself; the rest are typical of the Amaranthaceae family — flowering plants only.

Local Names

Tamil
பூளை
Telugu
పిండిదొండ
Malayalam
ചെറൂള, ബലിപ്പൂവ്, Aerva Lanata

About Polpola

Polpola (Aerva lanata) is a herb in the Amaranthaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and 7 other states. Flowering and fruiting run from August to January.

Uses

Locally it is grown for parts that are eaten and long used in traditional medicine. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice.

In culture

It is treated as sacred and appears in worship.

Illustration representing the Amaranthaceae family
Botanical family

Amaranthaceae

Amaranth family

Polpola belongs to the Amaranthaceae family.

The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.

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Common plant problems

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