Dasapushpam


Dasapushpam, or the ten sacred flowers of Kerala, are ten herbs traditionally significant to Keralites, the people of Kerala, India. These herbs are found almost everywhere in Kerala, especially in the Western Ghats region. They are used for decorative purposes, such as making the floral carpet pookalam during festivals like Onam.
These ten flowers are also used to prepare folk medicines in Kerala.

List

The ten plants are:
Common nameBinomial nameMalayalam nameImage
Slender dwarf morning-gloryEvolvulus alsinoidesവിഷ്ണുക്രാന്തി
Indian doab or Bahama grassCynodon dactylonകറുക
lilac tasselflowerEmilia sonchifoliaമുയൽ ചെവിയൻ
Morning gloryIpomoea sepiariaതിരുതാളി
Mountain knotgrassAerva lanataചെറുള
Golden eye-grassCurculigo orchioidesനിലപ്പന
False daisyEclipta albaകയ്യോന്നി
Little ironweedCyanthillium cinereumപൂവാംകുറുന്നില
Biophytum sensitivumBiophytum sensitivumമുക്കുറ്റി
Balloon plantCardiospermum halicacabumഉഴിഞ്ഞ

Although the Malayalam names refer to the flowers, the medicinal value lies in the leaves in most cases.

Ipomoea sepiaria

Extracts of Ipomoea sepiaria leaves feature antimicrobial activity. The extract was tested on bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.