संस्कृत नाम- शतावरी
Botanical name - Asparagus racemosus
Description - Perennial tuberous scandent shrubs with triquetrous cladodes and stem with spines. Flowers white, in simple or branched racemes. Berry globose. The fresh roots occur in fascicles of long slender cream colored roots of fusiform shape, which may be upto 75 cm. long, and 1.5 cm. thick. On drying the drug becomes thin and brittle.
Chemical_Constituents- Plant contains saponins Shatavarin I to IV. Roots contain sitosterol, udecanyl cetanoate. Leaves contain diosgenin. mature fruits contain glycosides, sitosterol, stigmasterol, sarsapogenin, sitosterol-Beta-D-glucoside, and saponin.
Uses - It is used as refrigerent, demulcent, diuretic, aphrodisiac, antispasmodic, alterative, anti-diarrhoeal, anti-dysenteric, galactagogue and veterinary demulcent. Fresh root juice mixed with honey and given in dyspepsia. Roots used in nervous and rheumatic complaints.