Porcupine Flower (Sahachara)

Porcupine flower is a spiny shrub of the acanthus family with yellow-orange flowers and sharp spines at the leaf bases. It grows across India in dry places and is often planted as a hedge.

It is one of the plants known in Ayurveda as Sahachara or Kurantaka. Its root and leaf have a traditional place in mouth-care preparations, and the plant is used in oils for joint comfort. The Hindi name vajradanti refers to its use for strong teeth.