Plural of cowage; a tropical climbing plant with stinging hairs, also called cowitch, known for causing itchy skin reactions.
From Hindi kiwanch or kiwach, a tropical plant name. The plant was brought to English through colonial trade routes in India during the 16th-17th centuries.
Cowage plants were traditionally used in folk medicine as a laxative, and modern research shows the pods contain compounds with genuine pharmacological properties—not just folklore!
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