What does 'kokil-ankh' mean?

It translates roughly to 'cuckoo's eye', likely describing the shape or arrangement of its small flowers or seeds.

Why does it grow in marshy ground?

It's naturally adapted to waterlogged and seasonally flooded soils, which is why it's typically found at the edges of ponds, ditches and marshland.

✿Acanthaceae · Hygrophila

Kokil-Ankh / Long-Leaved Barleria

Hygrophila auriculata

Herboutdoor

Habit: Herb
Found in India: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan & more
Flowering: October-April

Identify this plant with SASYA

How to identify Kokil-Ankh

Identify Kokil-Ankh 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.
Confirm leaf surface: Glabrous (smooth, hairless).
Confirm flower colour: Blue.
In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: October-April.
In India, compare location records such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Telangana and nearby regions.
Confirm it sits within the Acanthaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Kokil-Ankh.

Plant Details

Scientific name: Hygrophila auriculata
Genus: Hygrophila
Family: Acanthaceae
Habit: Herb
Habitat: Marshy places in open deciduous forests
Habitat type: Wetland, Forest
Native to: Africa, Asia
Distribution: Tropical Himalayas, India, Myanmar, China, Malaya, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Tropical Africa, Indo-China
Found in India: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Telangana, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh
Flowering & fruiting: October-April
Conservation status: Least Concern (LC)

Leaf characters

Leaf surface: Glabrous (smooth, hairless)recorded

Typical of the family

Arrangement: Opposite
Type: Simple
Margin: Entire
Venation: Pinnate

Characters marked “recorded” are for Kokil-Ankh itself; the rest are typical of the Acanthaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour: Bluerecorded

Typical of the family

Flower symmetry: Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
Inflorescence: Spike
Fruit: Capsule

Characters marked “recorded” are for Kokil-Ankh itself; the rest are typical of the Acanthaceae family — flowering plants only.

Local Names

Hindi: भानकरी bhankari, गोक्षुर gokshur, कोकिल आंख kokil-ankh, कोकिल आंख [kokil-ankh]
Nepali: ताल मखाना
Bengali: শুলামর্দন Shulamardan, কুলেখাড়া, কুলেখাড়া [kulekhara], শুলামর্দন [Shulamardan]
Tamil: நீர்முள்ளி nir-mulli, நீர்முள்ளி, நீர்முள்ளி [Neermulli]
Telugu: ఏనుగు పల్లేరు [enugu palleru], కోకిలాక్షి [kokilaksi], వనశృంగాటము [vana-sringatamu]
Kannada: ಗೋಕಂಟಕ Gokantaka, ಗೋಕ್ಷುರ Gokshura ಕೊಳವಳಿಕೆ Kolavalike, ಕೊಳಗುಳಿಕೆ Kolagulike, ಕೊಳಗುಳಿಕೆ [Kolagulike]
Malayalam: വയൽച്ചുള്ളി vaya schulli, വയൽച്ചുളളി [vayalchulli], വയൽച്ചുള്ളി
Marathi: एखरा ekhara, गोक्षुर gokshura, कोळिस्ता kolista, एखरा [ekhara]
Sanskrit: Gokaṇṭa, कोकिलाक्षः [kokilaksah]
Gujarati: એખરો [ekharo], કાંટા શેરિયો [kanta sheriyo], તાલીમખાના [talimkhana]
Odia: କୋଇଲିଖିଆ, କୋଇଲିଖିଆ [koilikhia]
Punjabi: ਗੋਕੁਲਕਾਂਟਾ
Sinhala: නීරමුල්ලිය

Kokil-Ankh in India

This marsh-loving herb, known as भानकरी bhankari (Hindi), நீர்முள்ளி nir-mulli (Tamil), ఏనుగు పల్లేరు [enugu palleru] (Telugu), ಗೋಕಂಟಕ Gokantaka (Kannada), വയൽച്ചുള്ളി vaya schulli (Malayalam), एखरा ekhara (Marathi), is valued for its seeds in traditional Ayurvedic use. Hygrophila auriculata is found across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Telangana, West Bengal, Kerala, typically in wet, marshy or waterlogged ground.

Uses

Its seeds (talmakhana) have a long history of traditional Ayurvedic use — an attributed traditional use, not a medical claim.

How to Identify Kokil-Ankh

An erect herb with narrow, willow-like leaves in whorls, often spine-tipped at the leaf axils. Small tubular lilac-blue flowers cluster tightly at the leaf axils along the stem, followed by small seed capsules.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Long-leaved Barleria called in different Indian languages?: भानकरी bhankari (Hindi); நீர்முள்ளி nir-mulli (Tamil); ఏనుగు పల్లేరు [enugu palleru] (Telugu); ಗೋಕಂಟಕ Gokantaka (Kannada); വയൽച്ചുള്ളി vaya schulli (Malayalam); एखरा ekhara (Marathi); শুলামর্দন Shulamardan (Bengali); એખરો [ekharo] (Gujarati); କୋଇଲିଖିଆ (Odia); ਗੋਕੁਲਕਾਂਟਾ (Punjabi); Gokaṇṭa (Sanskrit).
What does 'kokil-ankh' mean?: It translates roughly to 'cuckoo's eye', likely describing the shape or arrangement of its small flowers or seeds.
Why does it grow in marshy ground?: It's naturally adapted to waterlogged and seasonally flooded soils, which is why it's typically found at the edges of ponds, ditches and marshland.

Botanical family

Acanthaceae

Acanthus family

Kokil-Ankh belongs to the Acanthaceae family.

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Sources: GBIF — Hygrophila auriculata (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Hygrophila auriculata (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)