Family : Amaryllidaceae

English : Black musale

Hindi : Kalimusli

Gujarati : Muslikali

Sanskrit : Krishna musali

Part used : Rhizome

Botanical Description: A herbaceous tuberous geophilous perrenial with a short or elonagte root stock bearing several fleshy lateral roots; leaves simple, crowded on the short stem, sessile or short petioled with sheathng leaf bases, linear or linear lanceolate often producing adventitious roots at the tips when in contact with soil; flowers bright yellow, the scape usually very short and hidden among the bases of the leaves underground the loweest flowers bisexual, the upper male; fruits derived from interior tricarpellary syncarpous ovary, 1-4 seeded, seeds black, oblong deeply grooved in wavy lines. Flowering and fruiting from August to December.

It is found throughout India.

Modern Pharmacological Action: Curculigo orchioides is one of the important plant mentioned in Ayurveda and Unani for asthma. Its rhizomes were used as aphodisiac, alterative, appetizer, fattening; useful in piles, jaundice and colic disorders. Methanol extract has shown immune stimulant, antioxidant, hepatoprotective and antiinflammatory activity.