14-ASPARAGUS RACEMOSUS Willd.
Local name: Shatawari
Family: Liliaceae
Location: Near Dr. Rafiq Zakaria Mazaar
Characters: Scandent shrubs, much branched with tufts of needle like branches in place of leaves roots tuberculated, 4-8 together. Leaves linean subulate. Cladodes slender, spinous pointed. Flowers white, sweet scented, in axillary racemes, berries globose, red when ripe, seeds globose, smooth, black.
Frequent in barren rocky grass land and under shade of trees along road sides also in gardens and houses.
Medicinal use: Plant parts used on headache. Roots are refrigerant, demulcent, diuretic, aphrodisiac, antispasmodic, alterative, anti-dysenteric, galacogogue and as demulcent. Tubers are used on gastric complaints, tonic stomach. Root boiled in milk is used as an appetiser.
Veterinary use: Decoction of root powder supposedly facilitates conception in cattle. Root used in Diarrhoea, dysentery, expel intestinal worms and galactogouge.