Chlorophytum borivilianum
Encyclopedia
Chlorophytum borivilianum
is a herb with lanceolate leaves, from tropical wet forests in peninsular India
. The Hindi
name is safed musli.
It is cultivated and eaten as a leaf vegetable
in some parts of India
, and its roots are used medicinally as a sex tonic under the name safed musli. The medicinal value is thought to derive from its saponin
content, up to 17 percent by dry weight. It has also recently been suggested that it may produce an aphrodisiac
agent. As medicinal demand has increased, the plant has been brought under cultivation. The saponins and alkaloids present in the plant are the source of its alleged aphrodisiac properties.
In traditional Indian medicine it is used as 'Rasayan' or adaptogen
.
Chlorophytum borivilianum
Chlorophytum borivilianum is a herb with lanceolate leaves, from tropical wet forests in peninsular India. The Hindi name is safed musli....
is a herb with lanceolate leaves, from tropical wet forests in peninsular India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
name is safed musli.
It is cultivated and eaten as a leaf vegetable
Leaf vegetable
Leaf vegetables, also called potherbs, green vegetables, greens, leafy greens or salad greens, are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable, sometimes accompanied by tender petioles and shoots...
in some parts of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and its roots are used medicinally as a sex tonic under the name safed musli. The medicinal value is thought to derive from its saponin
Saponin
Saponins are a class of chemical compounds, one of many secondary metabolites found in natural sources, with saponins found in particular abundance in various plant species...
content, up to 17 percent by dry weight. It has also recently been suggested that it may produce an aphrodisiac
Aphrodisiac
An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases sexual desire. The name comes from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sexuality and love. Throughout history, many foods, drinks, and behaviors have had a reputation for making sex more attainable and/or pleasurable...
agent. As medicinal demand has increased, the plant has been brought under cultivation. The saponins and alkaloids present in the plant are the source of its alleged aphrodisiac properties.
In traditional Indian medicine it is used as 'Rasayan' or adaptogen
Adaptogen
An adaptogen is a herbal product claimed to increase resistance to stress, trauma, anxiety and fatigue. The term is used mainly by herbalists who also refer to adaptogens as rejuvenating herbs, qi tonics, rasayanas, or restoratives...
.