English: Hindi: Hajora The name asthisanhari is derived from its
use in healing bone fractures. The plant grows commonly in the
hotter and drier regions of India, including the Deccan
peninsula, extending west to the lower eastern slopes of the
Western Ghats and south to Travencore. It is also widespread in
the drier parts of Africa and Arabia. A rambling shrub usually
found climbing over bushes (Plate 19). The stem is thick,
fleshy, glabrous, ridged and quadrangular, as the name suggests,
and constricted at the nodes. The leaves are simple, alternate,
thickened, broadly ovate to suborbicular, obtuse, with a serrate
margin, about 8 cm long and 6 cm broad. There are numerous
tendrils arising from the nodes; flowers small, in umbellate
cymes occurring opposite the leaves, with a cup-shaped, lobed
calyx; petals greenish-yellow and red tipped. The fruits are
globose berries. Leaves, stems, roots. Traditional and modem use
The leaves and stem are frequently eaten with curry in southern
India. In Madras the young s