It is an endangered plant species in srilanka.
Although it is naturally found at mannar and Jaffna currently it is imported from India.
It is found in Australia, newzeland, Bangladesh, china and South Korea.
It has been successfully famous as imported medicine in Australia, china and India.
Scientific name – Solanum virginianum .
It has been used as a medicine for long time also mostly used as an imported medicine.
There are thorns in leaves as well as every part of the plant. It is flowering throughout the year. In srilanka
it is well grown in low country dry zone. The full plant is used as a medicine.
Occasions which “katuvel batu”is used as a medicine are;
- For cough it is boiled with “Adathoda” leaves and given as a drink.
- If urine output is low it is boiled and given as a drink.
It has been grown successfully in Anuradhapura. There is no need to protect “katuvel batu” chenas from
wild elephants in those areas. Because the thorns of the plant get stucked in the webs of the foot fingers
of elephants. Farmers said due to that reason elephants doesn’t like to reach those chenas. That is a side
support for the farmers in those areas. So they have found that it has given protection as a covering
plant for other crops grown as well
