Why is satyanashi dangerous?

Its seeds resemble mustard seeds and argemone oil is a toxic adulterant of mustard oil linked to poisoning (epidemic dropsy), so the plant should never be consumed.

How do you identify Argemone mexicana?

Look for prickly white-veined thistle-like leaves, yellow poppy flowers, and bright yellow sap that oozes from any cut part.

✿Papaveraceae · Argemone

Bharbhand / Broad-Leaved Sorel

Argemone mexicana

Also known as Prickly Poppy, Mexican Poppy, Yellow Mexican Poppy

HerbMedicinal

Habit: Herb
Found in India: Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka & more
Flowering: Throughout the year

Identify this plant with SASYA

How to identify Bharbhand

Identify Bharbhand by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.

Look for a herb habit.
Check the distinctive field mark: Spiny thistle-like leaves, yellow poppy flowers.
Confirm flower colour: Yellow.
Use the leaf pattern: alternate leaf arrangement, simple leaves, spiny leaf margins, pinnate venation.
In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: Throughout the year.
In India, compare location records such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and nearby regions.
Confirm it sits within the Papaveraceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Bharbhand.

Plant Details

Scientific name: Argemone mexicana
Genus: Argemone
Family: Papaveraceae
Habit: Herb
Native to: West Indies, Mexico
Distribution: Now naturalized in the tropics
Found in India: Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Bihar, Delhi, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Tripura, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab
Flowering & fruiting: Throughout the year
Conservation status: Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Arrangement: Alternate
Type: Simple
Margin: Spiny
Venation: Pinnate

Characters marked “recorded” are for Bharbhand itself; the rest are typical of the Papaveraceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour: Yellowrecorded

Typical of the family

Inflorescence: Cyme

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

Local Names

Hindi: भरभांड Bharbhand, फिरंगी धतूरा Phirangi dhatura, पीला धतूरा Pila dhatura,भरभांड bharabhand
Nepali: काँडे Kaande, सत्यानासी Satyaanaasi, सुंगुरे काँडा sungure Kaandaa, सत्यानासी झार
Bengali: শিয়ালকাঁটা Siyalakanta, শিয়ালকাঁটা
Tamil: எலியோட்டி Eli-y-otti, குருக்கு Kurukku, குடிக்குச்சகுனி Kutikku-c-cakuni
Telugu: బలురక్కసి Balurakkasi, బ్రహ్మదండి Brahmadandi, బలురక్కసి
Kannada: ಅರಸಿನ ಉಮ್ಮತ್ತ Arasina ummatta, ದತ್ತೂರಿ ಗಿಡ Datturi gida, ಗೊಳಗೊಳಿಕೆ Golagolike
Malayalam: ബ്രഹ്മദന്തി Brahmadanti, എരുമക്കള്ളി Erumakkalli, എരുമക്കള്ളി
Marathi: कांटे धोत्रा Kante dhotra, फिरंगी धोतरा Phirangi dhotra, पिवळा धोत्रा Pivala dhotra, कांटेधोत्रा
Odia: କଣ୍ଟାକୁସୁମ
Punjabi: ਮੈਕਸੀਕਨ ਪੋਸਤ
Assamese: শিয়ালকাঁটা

Bharbhand in India

Satyanashi is the spiny yellow-flowered poppy of dry waste ground — भरभांड Bharbhand (Hindi), எலியோட்டி Eli-y-otti (Tamil), బలురక్కసి Balurakkasi (Telugu), ಅರಸಿನ ಉಮ್ಮತ್ತ Arasina ummatta (Kannada), ബ്രഹ്മദന്തി Brahmadanti (Malayalam), कांटे धोत्रा Kante dhotra (Marathi). Argemone mexicana is recorded across Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, common on roadsides and fallow fields.

Uses

It has attributed uses in folk medicine, but its main public-health importance is as a danger: its seeds resemble mustard seeds and its oil (argemone oil) is a notorious toxic adulterant of mustard oil that has caused poisoning outbreaks. It should be treated as a toxic weed, not consumed.

How to Identify Bharbhand

A prickly, blue-green herb with spiny, white-veined, thistle-like leaves that clasp the stem. It bears bright yellow poppy flowers and spiny capsules, and every part bleeds a bright yellow latex when broken — a clear identifying sign.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Broad-leaved Sorel called in different Indian languages?: भरभांड Bharbhand (Hindi); எலியோட்டி Eli-y-otti (Tamil); బలురక్కసి Balurakkasi (Telugu); ಅರಸಿನ ಉಮ್ಮತ್ತ Arasina ummatta (Kannada); ബ്രഹ്മദന്തി Brahmadanti (Malayalam); कांटे धोत्रा Kante dhotra (Marathi); শিয়ালকাঁটা Siyalakanta (Bengali); କଣ୍ଟାକୁସୁମ (Odia); ਮੈਕਸੀਕਨ ਪੋਸਤ (Punjabi).
Why is satyanashi dangerous?: Its seeds resemble mustard seeds and argemone oil is a toxic adulterant of mustard oil linked to poisoning (epidemic dropsy), so the plant should never be consumed.
How do you identify Argemone mexicana?: Look for prickly white-veined thistle-like leaves, yellow poppy flowers, and bright yellow sap that oozes from any cut part.

Botanical family

Papaveraceae

Poppy Family

Bharbhand belongs to the Papaveraceae family.

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

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Common plant problems

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More in Papaveraceae

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Sources: GBIF — Argemone mexicana (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · iNaturalist — Argemone mexicana (regional names, India observations) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Argemone mexicana (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)