Small Caltrops

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In Ayurvedic medicine, Tribulus terrestris is

utilized as an aphrodisiac and as a geriatric agent.

This plant, also known as zama or zimpating,

produces fruits that are used in Ladakh to fortify

beer. The young branches and ripe fruits also are

crushed and consumed in milk. High dosages

(how high?) are said to produce delirium

(Navchoo and Buth 1990, 319, 320*). The plant

has been shown to contain steroids and sapogenin

along with some five alkaloids, including

harmane, harmine, and harmol (Ott 1993, 426*;

Festi and Samorini 1997,26).

In Baluchistan (Pakistan), 10 to 20 g of the

dried fruits (ghur gan) are ground, mixed with

water, and drunk to increase the sexual abilities of

men. The ground fruits (gurgandako) of the

closely related species Tribulus longipetalus Vivo

[syn. Tribulus alatus Del.] are used as a medicinal

snuff for treating stuffy noses (Goodman and

Ghafoor 1992,55*).
Literature

Festi, Francesco, and Giorgio Samorini. 1997.

Tribulus terrestris 1. (tribolo/caltrop). Eleusis

7:24-32.