Cuscuta reflexa Roxb.

DeFilipps, Robert A. & Krupnick, Gary A., 2018, The medicinal plants of Myanmar, PhytoKeys 102, pp. 1-341 : 53

Cuscuta reflexa Roxb.

Names.

Myanmar: shwe-new, shwe-nwe-pin (Hsay). English: dodder, giant dodder.

Range.

Afganistan, throughout northern India to Yunnan China, Java, and Sri Lanka. Found growing naturally in upper Myanmar, Pyin Oo Lwin, and in the upper Chindwin area.

Uses.

Sweet-tasting; used to treat diseases of the bile as well as to increases strength and the sperm count; also considered to promote longevity. Whole plant: The liquid from boiling it is either drunk or rubbed onto the abdomen to treat inflammation and hardening of the liver. Equal parts of the powdered plant mixed with dried ginger powder are mixed with butter and applied to longstanding sores to heal them. After crushing the plant and making a paste with water, it is applied to cure itches and rashes. The plant is also used to treat irregularities of the blood. Used as a shampoo, it cools the scalp, clears the brain, and cures dandruff and head lice.

Note.

In India the whole plant is used to reduce swellings and for headaches; the stem is used for jaundice and wounds ( Jain and DeFilipps 1991).

Reference.

Agricultural Corporation (1980).