vastuka :

Taxonomical Classification

Kingdom: Plantae - Plants
Subkingdom: Streptophyta
Superdivision: Spermatophyta - Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida - Dicotyledons
Family: Chenopodiaceae
Genus: Chenopodium
Species: Chenopodium murale

VERNACULAR NAMES

Sanskrit: वास्तुक vastuka, shaka patra, kambira, prasadaka
English: Nettle-Leaved Goosefoot, Australian-spinach, salt-green •
Hindi: goyalo , बथुवा bathuwa
Telugu: పప్పుకూర pappukura, వాస్తుకము vastukamu
Bengali: বেথো শাক betho shaak, বেথুয়া শাক bethuya shaak
Marathi: चाकवत chakvat, वासुकें vasukem
Oriya: ବଥୁଆ ଶାଗ bathua sag •
Gujarathi: બથવો bathavo, ચીલની ભાજી chilani bhaji
Tamil: சக்கரவர்த்தி கீரை chakravarthi keerai, பருப்புக்கீரை paruppu-k-kirai
Malayalam: പരിപ്പുചീര parippuchira, വാസ്തുചീര vastuchira
Kannada: ಚಕ್ರವರ್ತಿ chakravarti, ಚಕ್ಕವತ್ತ chakkavatta, ಹುಚ್ಚ ಚಕ್ಕೋತ huchcha chakkota
Assamese: বথুৱা শাক bathuwa shaak, জিলমিল শাক jilmil shaak
Nepal: बेथे bethe

Varities:

Vāstūka is mainly of two types: Gauravāstūka and Sugandhavāstūka. The species with bigger and red leaves is identified as Gauravāstūka or Chenopodium purpurascens (synonym of Chenopodium giganteum). This is refered by Surendra Mohan in Kaidevanighaṇṭu as Cillī and the American species containing 60% Chenopodium is known as Chenopodium ambrosioides (synonym of Dysphania ambrosioides). Chuṇekar has described it by the name Sugandhavāstūka. Chenopodium botrys (synonym of Dysphania botrys) is used as a substitute for the American species.