Rough chaff is an upright and rigid yearly herb that grows thickly upto 50 cm in height. It has several branches, nearly round and somewhat ribbed stem, light green or light pink in colour and covered with small, taut and somewhat coarse hair. Its branches have prickles which are pointed downwards. The leaves of the plant are plain, egg-shaped and green. The flowers are tiny and face downwards. Older flowers are seen at the bottom and fresh ones on the upper part.

The herb occurs in temperate and sub-tropical Himalayas from Kishtwar to Sikkim and Khasi hills at 1200 to 1820 metres, Bihar, Konkan, Nilgiris and Travancore hills. The seeds and the dried plant are obtainable with grocers and dealers of unprocessed drugs all over India.

The char of the herb contains a rich proportion of potash and is an antacid. It is a crucial component of alkaline medicine, useful in counterbalancing acidity.

Methods of usage
Rough chaff has the power to repair chronic diseases like asthma, spleen enlargement, renal dropsy, cholera, menorrhagia or other infectious eruptions.

Healing Power and Medicinal Properties of rough chaff
Rough chaff is one of the imperative herbs used by villagers to cook mixed greens. The leaves are bland but assume a soft acrid taste after cooking. They also contain soft cellulose.

Asthma cured by rough chaff
Rough chaff is used to heal asthma. The method ordained in Ayurveda is as follows-- the leaves of the plant should be plucked in impenetrable darkness with no light falling on the plant at the time of plucking. This is because the presence of light ruins the remedial effect of the leaves. After plucking, 25 grams of the leaves are mashed together with two grams of black pepper on a stone. Six pills are made from the paste which is dried in a dark room the same night. An asthma patient has to take one pill with water on the 9th night of the 2nd half of the lunar month, and persist to follow the routine for 6 days upto new moon day.

Coughs cured by rough chaff
The char of the herb, mixed with honey, is useful for coughs. An assortment of the char and 4 times its weight of water should be allowed to coagulate for 24 hours. The residue obtained by vaporising the supernatant or upper layers of the liquid is the recognised Ayurvedic preparation `aghada khara`. It is taken in dosages of 6 to 12 centigrams for alleviating coughs.

Spleen Enlargement healed by rough chaff
The herb is particularly handy for spleen enlargement. The pulverisation of the plant is used in 25 gram dosages twice everyday with a slight beaten curd. This fetches beneficial results in 3 to 4 weeks.

Cholera healed by rough chaff
The pulverised root of the herb is extremely functional for cholera. Approximately 6 grams of the grind should be blended with water and consumed.

Renal Dropsy cured by rough chaff
A decoction of the plant is useful in renal dropsy because it increases the secretion and disposal of urine. This decoction is developed by boiling 60 grams of the plant in 150 ml of water for 20 to 30 minutes. Almost 30 to 60 grams of this sieved mixture should be taken twice or thrice a day.

Stomach Disorders healed by rough chaff
The juice of the leaves is helpful in stomach illnesses like stomachache, bowel complaints and piles. A decoction of the powderised leaves, coalesced with honey or sugar candy is handy in the premature stages of diarrhoea and dysentery.

Menorrhagia healed by rough chaff
This is a condition of inordinate menstrual bleeding. The drug is useful in checking secretion or blood loss. It is thus valuable in unusually unwarranted menstruation. A concoction of the herb should be used in treating such conditions.

Skin Problems cured by rough chaff
The leaves of rough chaff are helpful in gashes and wounds from sharp-edged weapons like knives and blades. Juice of a few leaves from the plant is used to exhaustively dowse the wound. A leaf should be wrapped and bandaged over it. It mends within a day or two with a single application. A balm made from the char of the herb with orpiment is used for cleansing warts and ulcers.

Eye Disorders cured by rough chaff
The root of the herb is handy in instances of eye-disorders. A paste of the roots with water can be administered constructively in ophthalmia and opacity of the cornea.

Insect Bites healed by rough chaff
A paste of the leaves prepared with water has testified efficient in curing bites of toxicant insects, wasps, bees etc. It is mandatory to administer it externally over the affected portions.

Precautions - It is better for pregnant women to have the juice of the herb in light dosages, as large dosages may accelerate labour pains or induce miscarriage.

Other Uses of rough chaff
Easy Delivery - Rough chaff seeds are valuable in alleviating easy and hassle-free delivery. The seeds are mashed well in water to make a fine paste and applied on the navel, pubis and vulva.