Pedaliaceae · Martynia

Ulat-Kanta / Devils'claw

Martynia annua

Also known as Tiger Claw, Snake's Head

UndershrubMedicinal
Habit
Undershrub
Found in India
Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat & more
Flowering
Throughout the year

Plant Details

Scientific name
Martynia annua
Genus
Martynia
Habitat
Along road sides and as weed of wastelands
Habitat type
Wasteland
Native to
Central America, Mexico
Distribution
Tropical & sub-tropical America, Mexico, Pakistan, Nepal, India, Myanmar
Found in India
Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Kerala
Flowering & fruiting
Throughout the year
Conservation status
Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf arrangement
OppositerecordedTwo leaves arise from the stem at the same point, facing each other.The leaves are opposite, and have red petioles. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf shape
OvaterecordedEgg-shaped, broader near the base.Martynia is an erect, somewhat shrubby annual plant about 1 metre (3.3 ft) tall, covered with glandular hairs, and has ovate, mucilaginous leaves 8–20 centimetres (3.1–7.9 in) wide — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Characters marked “recorded” are for Ulat-Kanta itself; the rest are typical of the Pedaliaceae family.

Local Names

Hindi
उलट-कांटा Ulat-kanta, बाघनख Baghnakh,उलट कांटा ulata kanta
Bengali
বাঘনখ
Tamil
Puli - Nagam, புலிநகம்
Telugu
గరుడ ముక్కు, మార్టీనియా
Kannada
ಹುಲಿಯುಗುರು Huliyuguru, ಗರುಡಮೂಗು Garuda moogu
Malayalam
Puli - Nakham, പുലിനഖം
Marathi
Vinchu, विंचवी

About Ulat-Kanta

Devils'claw (Martynia annua) is a low shrub in the Pedaliaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat and 17 other states. It grows in along road sides and as weed of wastelands. It flowers and fruits through much of the year.

Uses

In practice it is long used in traditional medicine. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice.

Illustration representing the Pedaliaceae family
Botanical family

Pedaliaceae

Pedalium Or Sesame Family

Ulat-Kanta belongs to the Pedaliaceae family.

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

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Common plant problems

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