Witnessed by: Ayurveda · Unani
Elephant Creeper (Argyreia nervosa), of the Convolvulaceae family. Large woody perennial climber with heart-shaped leaves, silvery-tomentose beneath, and big lavender-throated trumpet flowers; native range: India, along forest margins and hedgerows of the subcontinent; now naturalized pantropically. Globally recognized as vriddhadaru / vridhadaru in Sanskrit, samudra shokh · birunj in Hindi, samundar sokh in Urdu, and elephant creeper, woolly morning glory, Hawaiian baby woodrose in English. The part used is root (classically); seeds are noted but not part of the traditional internal materia medica. Root stout and woody, pale and mucilaginous within, faintly bitter and astringent to taste.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
ELEPHANT CREEPER
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- Elephant Creeper
- Scientific name
- Argyreia nervosa (Burm.f.) Bojer
- Family
- Convolvulaceae
Form
- Part used
- root (classically); seeds are noted but not part of the traditional internal materia medica
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Ayurveda
- bitter · astringent (tikta, kashaya)
- Unani
- bitter · astringent
Temperature
- Ayurveda
- heating (ushna)
- Unani
- hot & dry (2nd degree)
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- Unani
- nerves · brain
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Ayurveda
- vata-hara, medhya (nervine/cognitive), vrishya (aphrodisiac), balya (strength-promoting), vranaropana (wound-healing), rasayana
- Unani
- muqawwi-e-asab (nerve tonic), muqawwi-e-bah (aphrodisiac), dafi-waja-ul-mafasil (anti-rheumatic), muqawwi-e-badan (general tonic)
Cautions
- Contraindications
- pregnancy; the seeds are not part of classical medicinal dosing and should not be substituted for the root
- Toxicity
- the seeds contain ergoline alkaloids (notably ergine/LSA) and are strongly hallucinogenic and toxic in excess, causing nausea, vomiting and psychotic reactions; the root, the classically employed part, is not associated with this danger at traditional doses
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