Weed Herbarium

Bara dudhia

Common Name: Asthma-plant
Scientific Name: Euphorbia hirta L.
Family Name: Euphorbiaceae
Type: Broad Leaf

Identification Notes

EPPO Code

EPHHI

Life Cycle

Annual

Morphology

Stem: ascending, much branched from the base, branches often reddish, clothed with brownish crisp hairs, have milky sap. Leaves: opposite, elliptic-oblong to oblong-lanceoate, minutely toothed, nerves distinct. Inflorescence: cyathium, terminal or axillary, dense in cluster. Fruit: a capsule, three angled Seed: red brown.

Growing season

Rabi and Kharif

Germination period

January to December

Flowering period

January to December

Propagation

By seed

Habitat

Found in pulse crops, sunhemp, fallow lands, roadsides, homesteads and bank of ponds.

Weed potential

Control measure

Recommended herbicide

Distribution

Medicinal properties

Euphorbia hirta is often used traditionally for female disorders, respiratory ailments (cough, coryza, bronchitis, and asthma), worm infestations in children, dysentery, jaundice, pimples, gonorrhea, digestive problems, and tumors (Kumar et al. 2010).

References

[1] Kumar S, Malhorta R, Kumar D. 2010. Euphorbia hirta: Its chemistry, traditional and medicinal uses, and pharmacological activities. Pharmacogn Rev. 4(7): 58–61. 10.4103/0973-7847.65327

Department of Agronomy

Bangladesh Agricultural University