Mirabilis jalapa L.

DeFilipps, Robert A. & Krupnick, Gary A., 2018, The medicinal plants of Myanmar, PhytoKeys 102, pp. 1-341 : 129-130

Mirabilis jalapa L.

Names.

Myanmar: lay-naryi pan, myitzu pan pin. English: four o’clock, marvel of Peru.

Range.

Tropical America. Cultivated in Myanmar.

Uses.

Whole plant: A decoction of the five parts mixed with sugar and reduced to one-third the starting volume given for urinary infections and bladder stones. Leaf: Known for promoting virility, leaves are also used to treat bumps and sores. The juice is applied to rashes to relieve itching. Leaves crushed with cold water are used as a poultice for broken and fractured bones, dislocations, and knotted muscles. Root: The tuber is used in medicines for impotence. Powdered tuber, dried ginger, pepper, and peik-chin ( Piper longum ) fruit are mixed with honey and licked for gonorrhea.

Notes.

The medicinal uses of this species in India are discussed in Jain and DeFilipps (1991). Medicinal uses of this species in China are discussed by Duke and Ayensu (1985). Perry (1980) discusses the medicinal uses of the species in China, Indo-China, and the Malay Peninsula.

The toxic properties, symptoms, treatment, and beneficial uses of this plant are discussed by Nellis (1997). The roots contain an alkaloid, and the roots and seeds are poisonous ( Perry (1980).

Reference.

Agricultural Corporation (1980).