Description

Sphaeranthus indicus, globe thistle or East Indian globe thistle, is an erect or spreading annual herb of the family Asteraceae, native to the humid plains, rice paddies, canal margins, and waterlogged grasslands of tropical South and Southeast Asia, particularly widespread across India from the Gangetic plains to peninsular regions. The plant bears globose, compact, pinkish-purple composite flower heads arranged along a winged, aromatic stem. Known in classical Ayurveda as Mahamundi and documented in the Charaka Samhita as a Rasayana and Medhya herb, it has been traditionally incorporated into formulations associated with skin health, nervous system support, and reproductive vitality. Its anti-inflammatory phytoconstituents have attracted phytochemical research attention in the 21st century.