Trapa natans

Botanical name : Trapa natans Linn. Var.bispinosa (Roxb.) Makino
Family : Trapaceae

SANSKRIT SYNONYMS
Shringataka

AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES
Rasa : Madhura, Kashaya
Guna : Guru, Snigdha
Virya : Seeta

PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
English : Water chestnut, Singhara nut
Hindi : Singhara, Simkhata
Malayalam : Karimbolam, Vankottakkaya

Distribution – Throughout in India in ponds and lakes. Growing wildly.

PLANT DESCRIPTION
An aquatic floating herb with rapidly spreading nature. Leaves floating, long petioled, simple, alternate, crowded in upper part of stem, triangular, serrated at apex; flowers white, above the surface of water on long stalks, axillary and solitary. Fruits obovoid, bony, angular with conical spines, containing single seed.

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Plant pacifies vitiated pitta, burning sensation, hemorrhages, diarrhea, skin diseases, inflammation, low back ache and general debility.
Useful part : Fruits