Dear friends In January 2011, we had a detailed discussion on plant known as Safed Kantakari and used as important herbal medicine. This plant is apparently mostly identified Solanum xanthocarpum (also known as S. surattense, but correctly S. virginianum now.). White flowers are reported in this species occurring rarely and in fact photographs with white flowers were uploaded by Pravin ji but according to Pankaj Oudyia ji this is not real Safed kantakari. Here is that old thread
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/indiantreepix/Safed$20kantakari/indiantreepix/eZFwolptkEg/-pNFlr2bi1kJ In the same thread Devi ji reported: " In Kerala, there are 10 sacred herbs that are grouped under the name of "Dashapushpam". Lakshmana [ Thirutali in Malyalam] is one of them.The same book names the white flowered Kantakari as Solanum It's botanical name as per the book "Ayurvedic Drugs and their Plant Sources" is Ipomoea Marginata/ Ipomoea Obscura. It's a creeper with heart shaped leaves and white funnel like flowers. The same book names the white flowered Kantakari as Solanum Capsicoides and the purple flowered one as S.Surattense/xanthocarpum/virginianum." Today I received a phone call from Mr. Atul Goel about Safed Kantakari. I advised him to send me the photographs of it. He sent me one and on the basis of that it is clearly not Solanum xanthocarpum, it is rather S. capsicoides, as suggested by Devi ji. I am uploading the same for further inputs on this. It is a smaller gif image, but I think it should help . Regards, -- Dr. Gurcharan Singh Retired Associate Professor SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089 http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/
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