Herb: Dodder


Latin name: Cuscuta reflexa


Family: Convolvulaceae (Morning-glory Family)



Medicinal use of Dodder:

The seeds are alterative, anthelmintic and carminative. They are used in the treatment of bilious disorders. The stems are used in the treatment of bilious disorders. The whole plant is purgative. It is used internally in treating protracted fevers and externally in the treatment of body pains and itchy skin. The plant is employed in Ayurvedic medicine to treat difficulty in urinating, jaundice, muscle pain and coughs. The juice of the plant, mixed with the juice of Saccharum officinarum, is used in the treatment of jaundice. The analysis of the plant differs according to the host it is growing on. The report does not say if this makes a difference to its medicinal properties.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial

Habitat of the herb:

Parasitic on Desmodium spp, Rubus spp and Viburnum spp at 1700 - 2900 metres in Kashmir. It is also found on Zizyphus jujube and Vitex negundo and has been known to kill these plants.

Propagation of Dodder:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn, by lodging it among the stems of a host plant that is being grown in a pot in the greenhouse.

Cultivation of the herb:

Parasitic on Desmodium spp, Rubus spp and Viburnum spp at 1700 - 2900 metres in Kashmir. It is also found on Zizyphus jujube and Vitex negundo and has been known to kill these plants.

Known hazards of Cuscuta reflexa:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.