Name - कतकः

Botanical name - Strychnos potatorum

Description - Medium-sized trees. Leaves elliptic, acute at both ends. Flowers white, in axillary cymes. Berry black, globose; seeds circular.

Chemical Constituents- Plant contains alkaloids minfiensine, normavacurin. Root bark contains alkaloids - major are harmane carboxamide, cantleyine, polyneuridine, norharmane, akuammidine, ochrolifuanine, dihydrolongicandatine, dihydrolongicandatine y, normavacurine, henningamine. Leaves contain triterpene isomotiol. Seeds contain alkaloids diaboline, mannogalactan, oligosaccharides

Use - Seeds tonic, stomachic, demulcent and emetic, used in diarrhoea, diabetes and gonorrhoea; also employed in cutaneous troubles. It is used in gonorrhoea, dysentery, asthma and diabetes. The paste smeared on the Interior of pots and filled with turbid water causes the Clearing of water. Hence it is called also as clearing nut.