Herb's Introduction
Triumfetta rhomboidea is a pantropical weed, a subshrub, or perennial herb belonging to the family Malvaceae (formerly Tiliaceae). It is widely distributed across tropical and subtropical regions. Despite its classification as a common weed in many areas, its various parts—roots, bark, leaves, flowers, and fruits—have been extensively utilized in traditional and folk medicine for centuries to treat a wide array of ailments. The plant is noted for its mucilaginous quality and its distinctive burr-like fruits which aid in its widespread seed dispersal.
Name in Different Countries
Scientific Name: Triumfetta rhomboidea Jacq. Family: Malvaceae Common English Names: Burr Bush, Chinese Burr, Diamond Burrbark, Paroquet Burr. Sanskrit: Jhinjhireetaa, Gippit, Jhinjharita. Hindi: Chiriyari, Chiki, Chikti. Bengali: Bon okhra. Assamese: Agra. Kannada: Kadu bende. Malayalam: ഊർപ്പം (Oorpam), Ottukayal. Marathi: थिनझिरा (Thinjhira). Tamil: Ottu Pullu, Ottarai. Telugu: బంక తుత్తర (Bankathuthara), Kusanga, Kusangi, Puli adugu. Chinese: 刺蒴麻 (cì shuò má).
Terminology
Synonymy: The plant has numerous synonyms, including Bartramia indica L., Triumfetta indica Lam., and Triumfetta bartramia L., which reflects its long history and wide distribution, often leading to confusion in early botanical classification. The currently accepted name is Triumfetta rhomboidea Jacq. Key Chemical Constituents: Phytochemical analysis has revealed the presence of carbohydrate glycosides, phytosterols, steroids, flavonoids, tannins and phenolic compounds, and triterpenoids. These secondary metabolites are responsible for the plant's various medicinal properties. Mucilage: A key characteristic; the bark, leaves, and fruits are all mucilaginous (slimy/viscous), which contributes to its use as a demulcent and in culinary applications for making slimy soups.
Availability
Habitat and Distribution: Triumfetta rhomboidea is a pantropical and subtropical species. It is extensively naturalized across the globe, including Africa, South and Southeast Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. In Nepal: As mentioned in the search for "Medicinal Plants of Nepal," it is utilized by tribal and local communities. It commonly grows in forest margins, open areas, wastelands, and disturbed habitats up to an altitude of about 1500 meters. Its prevalence as a weed makes it readily available in many rural and semi-urban tropical environments. Dispersal: Its widespread availability is due to its fruits, which are burr-like capsules covered in small, hooked spines, making them easily adhere to clothing and animal fur (epizoochory).
External Look
Habit: It is a small, branched subshrub or annual/perennial herb, typically growing 1 to 2 meters tall. Stem and Branches: The branches are often reddish-brown and covered in soft, star-shaped (stellate) hairs. The bark yields a strong, soft, glossy fiber, sometimes referred to as "burbark." Leaves: The leaves are alternate, simple, and variable in shape, typically broadly ovate to rhombic-ovate (diamond-shaped), which gives the species its name (rhomboidea). They are often obscurely to distinctly 3-lobed with irregularly serrated margins. Both surfaces have stellate hairs, more numerous on the lower side. Flowers: The small, yellow, hermaphrodite flowers grow in dense, leaf-opposed or terminal clusters (cymes). They have five sepals and five petals. Fruit: The characteristic fruit is a dry, globose, indehiscent capsule (a bur) about 3–4 mm in diameter. It is covered with numerous small (1–2 mm long) uncinate (hooked) spines, which are responsible for its "burr bush" name.
Healing Properties
Traditional Properties: Roots: Styptic (stops bleeding), diuretic (increases urine flow), galactagogue (promotes breast milk production), aphrodisiac, and cooling. Leaves/Bark: Astringent (causes contraction of tissues), anticholerin, demulcent (soothes irritated internal surfaces), and anti-inflammatory. Modern Pharmacological Activities: Studies support traditional uses and have reported: Antioxidant and Anti-tumor/Anticancer activity (against Dalton's Ascites Lymphoma). Antimicrobial (antibacterial and antifungal) activity against various pathogens. Anti-inflammatory and Analgesic (pain-relieving) effects. Diuretic and potential Antidiabetic properties. Antiviral activity.
Advantages
Broad-Spectrum Use: Nearly all parts of the plant (root, bark, leaves, flowers, fruit) are used, making it highly versatile in folk medicine. Accessibility: As a common, fast-growing pantropical weed, it is easily and locally available to communities, especially in remote rural areas. Traditional System Integration: It is recognized and utilized in established traditional systems like Ayurveda and Siddha, indicating a long history of empirical use. Nutritional Value: The leaves are sometimes used as a famine food, and the stem/bark mucilage, due to its high carbohydrate content, is used for making thick soups. It is also given to women after childbirth in some regions due to its perceived nutritional value.
Uses
Gastrointestinal Ailments: Treating diarrhea, dysentery, stomachache, and indigestion. The mucilage helps to soothe the intestinal lining. Urogenital and Reproductive Health: Used as a diuretic for urinary troubles, for gonorrhea (to stop the burning sensation from urine), to facilitate childbirth and hasten parturition, and as a galactagogue and aphrodisiac. Roots are also used for impotency. Infections and Inflammation: Applied as a paste for boils, pimples, and inflamed eyelids. Decoctions are used for cough and to treat fever. Historically used against leprosy and in poultices for tumors. Wound and Skin Care: Pounded roots for ulcers and mashed leaves/flowers applied to itching wounds. Other Uses: Root decoction used as a blood purifier and for treating anemia.
Using Way
Traditional methods of preparation and administration vary by ailment and region: Decoction (Boiling): The most common method. The root or bark and fresh leaves are boiled in water (sometimes in rice water) and the resulting liquid is drunk for dysentery, diarrhea, cough, and as a blood purifier. A hot infusion of the root is specifically used to hasten parturition (childbirth). Paste or Poultice: Pounded roots are applied topically to treat ulcers. A paste of the plant is applied to treat boils, pimples, and blisters. Pounded leaves and stems are sometimes used as a poultice on tumors. Infusion/Juice: Flowers are sometimes rubbed with sugar and water and the liquid administered for gonorrhea. Leaves and flowers may be crushed with water and applied to itchy wounds. Fried Preparation: In some traditions, the leaves are mashed with Zingiber officinale (ginger) rhizome, lemon juice, and coconut oil, fried, and consumed as a bechic (cough medicine).
Conclusion
Triumfetta rhomboidea, the Burr Bush or Jhinjhireetaa, is a highly valued and pharmacologically rich medicinal plant of pantropical distribution, deeply embedded in folk and codified medicine systems like Ayurveda. Its efficacy stems from a diverse phytochemical profile, especially its content of flavonoids, triterpenoids, and mucilage. Traditional uses are validated by modern research, which confirms its potent antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and diuretic activities. While it is often dismissed as a mere weed, its significant and proven roles in treating conditions from common gastrointestinal issues and coughs to more serious ailments, as well as its unique application in obstetric care, underscore its immense potential and continued importance as a readily available natural resource.
