Home > Indian History > Flora & Fauna > Kakadani
Kakadani
Kakadani is an Indian medicinal plant growing as a creeper, with a silken texture for its body.

Share this Article:

Kakadani, Indian Medicinal PlantKakadani is essentially an Indian medicinal plant bearing Capparis spinosa as its scientific name. Kakadani however is also popular by its regional dialects, like: caper bush in English; kalo kan-tharo, kantharo in Gujarati; ber and kabra in Hindi; kathari mullina gida, katrimulli-nagidda. marattamaggu, mullukattari in Kannada; barar and kaur in Punjabi; himsra and kartotti in Sanskrit; kokilakshamu in Telugu; and, kabar in urdu.

Kakadani medicinal plant is extensively distributed in habitats that are found in dry, rocky and stony soils in north-western India, through Punjab, Rajasthan, southwards through western and southern regions of peninsular India. It is fundamentally a diffused prostrate shrub or climber armed with divaricate light yellow to orange-coloured thorns or stipules. The leaves of this Indian medicinal plant are variable in texture, measuring within 1.2 centimetres to 3 centimetres in breadth and are orbicular to elliptic in shape. The base of the leaves of Kakadani are rounded or cuneate, with the apex as mucronate. This Indian medicinal plant bears handsome flowers, which are white, axillary and solitary in placement. The fruits or berries measure within 2.5 to 5 centimetre in length, which are ellipsoid, ovoid or obovoid in shape, with a thin pericarp. The seeds of Kakadani bear a smooth texture, which is further globose and 3 to 4 millimetres in diameter.

The Indian medicinal plant Kakadani possesses various medicinal properties, which are utilised in grave treatment of diseases. The root bark is used extensively in Ayurvedic and Unani medicine, credited with aperitive, tonic, diuretic, expectorant, anthelmintic, emmenagogue and analgesic properties. The plant is used to treat rheumatism, paralysis, toothache, as well as splenic, renal and liver ailments. An extract of Kakadani plant is one of the constituents of the Ayurvedic preparation Liv-52, administered to treat preliminary cases of acute viral hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver. Kakadani extract also has shown encouraging results against viral infections in humans. The plant extract is also a constituent of another Ayurvedic drug Geriforte, useful in the treatment of senile pruritis, itching and other ailments associated with old age and anxiety neurosis. The dried flower buds have an acrid, astringent taste and are useful for curing scurvy. The pickled flower buds constitute the commercial capers, used in cooking worldwide and in India, together with the fruits for flavouring pickles, relishes and sauces. The bruised Kakadani leaves are used as a poultice in the treatment of gout.


Share this Article:

Related Articles

More Articles in Flora & Fauna


Flora Of Uttarakhand
Uttaranchal falls under the west Himalayan Biogeography zone and it is well-known for floral diversity .
Flora and Fauna of Ladakh
Flora and Fauna is typical to t he kind of mountainous terrain which dominate the entire landscape of the region. Though some varieties of fauna are to be found here, the vegetation is very limited due to the dry and cold climate.
Flora and fauna in Tripura
Two-thirds of Tripura is forested where different species of trees, orchids, birds and wildlife are found. There are four sanctuaries in the state namely, Rowa wildlife sanctuary, Sepahijala wildlife sanctuary, Trishna wildlife sanctuary and Gumti wildlife sanctuary.
Flora and Fauna in Meghalaya
70 percent of Meghalaya is forested. Meghalayan forests are considered to be among the richest botanical habitats of Asia. These forests receive abundant rainfall and support a vast variety of floral and faunal biodiversity.
Flora and Fauna of Jammu & Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is rich in flora and fauna. Flora includes thorn bush type of the arid plain to the temperate and alpine flora of the higher altitudes. Faunal species found here are leopard, cheetah and deer, wild sheep, bear, brown musk shrew, muskrat; varieties of snakes, bats, lizards etc.
Flora and fauna in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Economy of this region is primly based on agriculture. In Andaman island, paddy is the main food crop, while in Nicoabar island coconut and areca nut are the main crops. Some field crops like pulses, oilseeds and vegetables are also grown here.
Flora And Fauna Of Uttar Pradesh
Flora and Fauna of Uttar Pradesh is widely diversified and adds pride to the state.
Flora and fauna of Kerala
Flora and Fauna of Kerala are diverse. The favourable climate with heavy rainfall and good quality of the soils helps both the flora and fauna to thrive. Forest covers a large area in the Western Ghats of Kerala.
Flora and fauna of Karnataka
Flora and fauna of Karnataka are diverse and comprise of plants, animals, birds, reptiles, etc. Flora of Karnataka comprises of species like eucalyptus, teak and rosewood. Fauna of Karnataka comprises of species like leopard, gaur and wild pig.
Flora and Fauna of Rajasthan
The flora and fauna of Rajasthan supports all kinds of animal species and forests. The diverse flora and fauna of Rajasthan has made it a popular tourist destination.
Flora of Arunachal Pradesh
Flora of Arunachal Pradesh includes infinite species and is a subject of great interests for the botanists.
Flora and Fauna of Manipur
Flora and fauna of Manipur are known to be the assemblage of a huge variety including the endangered ones. The place is especially famed for orchid species which includes the most vibrant and beautiful ones of the world.