Linn.Synonym: A. tenuifolius Cav.Family: Liliaceae.
Habitat: Most parts of the plains from West Bengal westwards to Punjab and Gujarat, as a field weed.
English: Asphodel. Unani: Piyaazi, Khunsaa, Asraash. (Asphodelus tenuifolius Cav. is equated with Shellot, Gandanaa.)Folk: Bokat.
Action: Seeds—diuretic; applied externally to ulcer and inflamed parts.
Seeds contain an ester, 1-O-17-me- thylstearylmyoinositol. The seed oil yields myristic, palmitic, oleic, linole- ic, linolenic acids, beta-amyrin and beta-sitosterol. The oil, due to its high linolenic content (62.62%), may be of therapeutic value in preventing atherosclerosis.The mineral elements present in the weed are iron 178.4, zinc 44.5 and copper 6.4 ppm. A triterpenoid, lupeol and quercetin are also present.... asphodelus fistulosus
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