Thuthi, kanghi in Hindi and atibala in Sanskrit, is Indian mallow, a soft, velvety shrub of village edges with yellow-orange flowers that open in the afternoon. Its fruit looks like a small crown or cartwheel of many segments. Tamil homes cook the leaves as thuthi keerai, and Siddha practice uses thuthi for piles. It is a larger relative of bala, Sida cordifolia.
- Botanical name
- Abutilon indicum (L.) Sweet
- Family
- Malvaceae
- Tamil
- Thuthi
- Hindi
- Kanghi
- Sanskrit
- Atibalā
- Parts used
- Leaves, Bark in lists, Seeds in lists
- Habit
- Soft, velvety shrub of village edges with wheel-shaped fruit
- Last updated
- 2026-10-27
How to recognise Thuthi
It is an upright shrub, usually one to two metres tall, covered in fine, soft grey hairs.
The leaves are broad, heart-shaped and toothed, soft as velvet.
Yellow to orange five-petalled flowers open in the afternoon on long stalks.
The fruit is a ring of fifteen to twenty flattened segments around a central axis, like a crown.
Bala is smaller, with small flowers and a little disc-shaped fruit.
Traditional use of Thuthi
Kitchen
Thuthi leaves are cooked with dal or as a stir-fried keerai in Tamil Nadu.
Tamil food practice
Siddha
Thuthi leaf is used in Siddha preparations for piles and as a soothing poultice.
Siddha practice
Ayurveda
Atibala root and seed are used in Ayurvedic tonic formulas.
Ayurvedic practice
Modern notes on Thuthi
The leaves are rich in mucilage, which gives them a soothing, slightly slimy texture when cooked.
Studies on extracts are mostly laboratory and animal work.
It is a common weed of roadsides and waste ground.
Thuthi safety
The leaves are a traditional food when cooked. Persistent piles or rectal bleeding need a doctor.
Ecology and sourcing
It grows across tropical Asia and Africa.
Bees visit its afternoon flowers.
It is a host plant for some cotton pests.
Related plants
Also in Malvaceae
Questions about Thuthi
What is thuthi keerai?
Indian mallow leaves cooked as a green.
Why is the fruit shaped like a wheel?
It is made of many segments around an axis.
Is Thuthi the same as bala?
No. Bala is a smaller relative.
When do the flowers of Thuthi open?
In the afternoon.
Is Thuthi a weed?
It is common on waste ground.
Sources
- Abutilon indicum (L.) Sweet — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q2901598 (Abutilon indicum)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.