frogs and plants

[Petra Wehmeyer]

Dear Dominique,
in many parts of India the brahmI-plant is identified with Bacopa 
monnieri (Linn.), a succulent that grows in moist places like the other 
parNI/Na - plants.Leaves opposite, long, 2-10mm broad. Centella asiatica 
(Urban.) ist also a water-loving creeping
plant, which is very often called `brahmI'. Another name is `Hydorcotyle 
asiatica`(Linn.) or in Sans: maNDUkaparNI. Leaves are round. 
SaptaparNah for instance is a large tree with simple leaves in whorls. It 
is also growing in moist regions. Got my information from: Kaviraj 
Nabendra Nath Sen Gupta: The Ayurvedic system of medicine.
Best wishes

On Thu, 19 Jun 1997, Dominique.Thillaud wrote:

> 	Dear Indologists,
> 
> 	In Sanskrit many plants have a name linked with the frog:
> bhekaparNI (?), maNDukaparNa (Calosanthes indica) and darduraparNI who is
> said the same as the plant brAhmI (Clerodendrum siphonantus, Ruta
> graveolens, Enhydra hingcha).
> 	My question are: what is the common feature of this various plants
> ? form of the leaves ? growing in water ? the name brAhmI is given too as
> the name of a she-frog, how this zakti can be a plant or a frog ? Can I
> find an itihAsa who explain it ? There is any rapport with RV,7,103 ?
> 	(all my references are from MMW s.v.)
> 
> 	Regards,
> Dominique
> 
> Dominique THILLAUD
> Universite' de Nice Sophia-Antipolis, France
> 
> 
> 
>