Convolvulus prostratus seed

LATIN NAME: Convolvulus prostratus

COMMON NAME: Shankhpushpi, Dwarf Morning Glory

Shankhpushpi is one of the most respected herbs of traditional Indian medicine, and it has been gathered for its calming qualities for centuries. It grows as a small, prostrate or trailing herb of the morning glory family, with slender, creeping stems, small, grey-green, often silky leaves and, in summer, pretty, funnel-shaped flowers, usually pale blue, pink or white. It is a modest plant with a quiet, spreading habit, and it grows in the dry, open places of India and Burma, where it has been prized in Ayurveda for its traditional uses for as long as anyone can remember.

Shankhpushpi belongs to the morning glory family, Convolvulaceae, and it is found in India and Burma, where it grows in dry, open, disturbed ground. In Ayurveda it is known as shankhpushpi, and it is among the most widely used herbs of the Indian traditional system. The name shankhpushpi is shared with a couple of other plants in different traditions, which has given botanists and herbalists much to discuss, but this little trailing morning glory is the plant most often meant by it, and its quiet, spreading habit suits its gentle reputation well.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

Shankhpushpi has a genuine and growing place in both traditional and scientific research. It is one of the most widely used herbs of Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, and it has been studied extensively by researchers, who have examined its chemistry and identified a range of bioactive compounds, including alkaloids and other substances, and studied their potential biological activity. The plant has also been studied in pharmacology and natural product research, since its traditional uses continue to guide modern studies of its compounds and their effects. Researchers have also examined the identity of shankhpushpi itself, since the name is applied to more than one plant in different traditions, which has been a subject of ongoing botanical and ethnobotanical interest. For an herb of such long-standing importance, shankhpushpi has a rich and growing record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Ecologically, shankhpushpi is a generous plant of the dry ground. Its pretty funnel-shaped flowers feed bees and other pollinators, and its low, creeping growth covers and holds the soil in the dry, open places where it grows.

Its economic value is real and significant. It is one of the most important herbs of Ayurveda, gathered and traded for centuries and still in steady demand for traditional medicine and for the preparation of herbal tonics, while researchers continue to study its compounds. For a grower, shankhpushpi is a valuable and respected herb, and for a gardener it brings soft, pretty flowers and a plant with a deep place in the history of Indian healing. The seed is small and easy to start — sow it in a pot of free-draining compost in spring, keep it in a warm, sunny spot and water it gently, and within a couple of weeks the little seedlings will be through, spreading out into a low, flowering mat by summer.

Convolvulus prostratus Convolvulus Pluricaulis