Medicinal plant

March 4 2024

Pilwan

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A climbing shrub occurring in drier parts of India mostly on Prosopis
cineraria. Leaves ovate oblong hairy and very variable in shape and size.
Flower in axillary fascicles. Male flower small hairy and greenish. Female
flower 2-3 together. Fruit is a small drupe and keeled. Flowering and fruiting
in October to January.

Part used: Root, Leaf and Fruit

Usage : Leaf sap mixed with water forms a green jelly, which is used
externally for skin diseases. Leaf extract with cold water is applied on head
for cooling effect. Juice of the leaf is beneficial in leucorrhoea. Decoction of
leaf is used in kidney pains. Roots are bitter and are used in several local
medicines as an antidote to snakebite. It is also used in intermittent fever. Juice of ripe berries makes durable purple blue ink.

Agrotechniques: It IS normally a weed and hence collected from nature. No specific agro techniques are available.

March 4 2024

Kesudo

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Commonly occurring on waste lands after rainy season, it is an erect woody under shrub with furrowed smooth purplish stem. Leaves alternate 15-20 cm long. Leaflets are 3-5 pairs with a gland on petioles, opposite, membranous and lanceolate. Flower yellow in short few flowered racemes. Pod recurved, glabrous, compressed and transversally septate. Seeds are numerous, compressed, ovoid, smooth and shining dark olive green. Flowering and fruiting in August-January.

Part used: Whole plant

Usage: A decoction of plant treats dysentery and other stomach problems. Paste of leaves used both externally and internally to treat skin diseases like scabies, ringworms and itches. Hot decoction of leaves acts as antiperiodic. Poultice of leaves and flowers treat eczema. Externally seed paste is also applied to treat skin troubles. The roots are purgative and diuretic. Paste of root is effective in eczema, ringworm and other skin problems.

Agrotechniques : No proper Agrotechniques are available though it is propagated by seeds.

March 4 2024

Amaltas

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It occurs throughout but common in forest area or as avenue plantation along the roads. Small to medium sized tree with large dark green, shining leaflets. Bright yellow flowers are in large axillary racemes. Fruit cylindrical pod 50-60cem long and dark brown in colour. Seeds are small flat, black shiny and embedded in sweetish black pulp. Flowering and fruiting from April to February.

Part used: Whole plant

Usage: The bark is antidysentery tonic and eaten raw to treat stomach ache. It is also used in skin diseases such as eczema, leucoderma and arthritis. Leaves are useful in rheumatism and facial paralysis. Juice or paste of leaves is also used in ringworm and inflammation of the hands or feet caused by exposure to cold. Fruit pulp is well known safe purgative. The pulp is effective in loss of sense of taste (Aguesia) due to excessive use of opium. A decoction of the pods is also used for pneumonia and common fever. The powdered seeds are a cure for intestinal amoebiasis. Root is useful in common colds. Inhaling smoke from the roots encourages nasal discharge. Root and bark are also useful in reducing fever.

Agrotechniques : It can be raised by direct sowing, planting out saplings or stump planting. The nursery raised
saplings 15-30 cm tall are planted in pits 30 cm at the start of monsoon rains. These are spaced at 5×5 m. One light irrigation is required after transplantation of plant. After that one or two irrigations are required up to flowering. Weeding required regularly. Mature pods collected directly from the plant and dried in shade.

March 4 2024

Sonamukhi

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A wild drought hardy shrub of semi arid regions of south India, becoming popular in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Leaves have glabrous pale green leaflets. Flowers bright yellow, borne as a racemose. The pods are fiat, brown and papery, contain 5-7 dark brown smooth compressed seeds. Flowering and fruiting through out the year.

Part used : Leaf, Bark and Pod

Usage: Leaves are effective purgative, also used as an anthelmintic for killing intestinal worms. A paste of the dried leaves made with vinegar as a base can be used for acne, eczema and pimples. Bark is astringent and is used to treat sore throat and for treatment of rheumatism. Its decoction relieves stomach ache and juice of fresh bark is good for dysentery.

Agrotechniques : Sandy loam soil pH 6-8.5 is suitable for cultivation. It can be raised through seeds in warm arid region except in water logged area. Seeds are sown in mid of July to last week of August. It dose not require irrigation but one weeding. Leaves are harvested after 80 to 90 days and second cut after 90-120 days of first cut. Two to three cuttings of leaves possible in a year.

March 4 2024

Kapal-phori

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Commonly spreading on shrubs and hedges, it is a herbaceous annual climber. Leaves alternate, biternate to trinate, serrate, acute narrowed at base and ape deeply segmented, Flower white in umbellate cymes with a pair of tendrils. Fruit a bladdery capsule, pyriform, trigonous and membranous, Seed globose, smooth black with small white heart shaped aril. Flowering and fruiting in September to November.

Part used: Whole plant

Usage : Promotes hair growth and for treating rheumatism, piles, nervous
disorders and sprains, The juice of plant cures earache. Paste of plant cures rheumatism and stiffness of limbs. Roots are diuretic and laxative. According to Charak, Sushrat and Vagbhatt the plant is used as an antidote to snake and scorpion bite. The extract of plant is used to regulate the menstrual cycle.
Agrotechniques : It is directly collected from nature hence no specific Agrotechniques are available. However, it can be easily propagated through seeds.

March 2 2024

Salaran

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Commonly found in the rocky areas, it is a deciduous, medium to large tree with ash coloured smooth papery bark. Leaves alternate imparipinnate; leaflet 8-15 pairs, opposite, pubescent, dark green and variable in shape. Flowers small, white in axillary racemes. Fruit trigonous, hard and winged. Flowering and fruiting in April December.

Part used: Stem bark, Flower and Gum

Usage : The yellow coloured gum exudes from the bark is an effective stimulant, expectorant, diuretic, in the treatment of ulcer, tumours, diarrhoea and dysentery, piles and skin diseases. Decoction of stem bark cures chronic cough and cold. Powdered flowers also cure cold and fever. Gum is used in the preparation of an ointment for sores and skin eruptions.

Agrotechniques : Seeds, root suckers, branch cuttings can be used to propagate it. Nursery raised saplings can be planted during rains in pits 60 cm even on rocky slopes with shallow gravelly and skeletal soils. Root suckers and branch cuttings can be planted directly in pits. Irrigation and weeding required frequently in first 3 years of its protection and care.

March 2 2024

Santi

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Wild all over desertic area in slightly sandy soil or around dumping places, now cultivated also. A deep rooted spreading perennial herb, with a stout root-stock and many erect or spreading branches. Stem is creeping often purplish. The leaves are simple, thick and brittle usually whitish and smooth beneath and rough green on upper surface. Flowers white or pink in long stalked umbels. Fruits oval. 5-ribbed and green or brown in colour. Flowering and fruiting in through out the year, but maximum in rainy season.

Part used: Whole plant

Usage: The whole plant fresh or dried, is the source of drug ‘Punamava’. it is diuretic, antipyretic and laxative. Fresh boiled herb or liquid extract of the fresh or dry plant is very effective in the treatment of dropsy, inflammatory renal diseases and ascites. Fresh juice given as a blood purifier and to get relief from muscular pain. The leaves eaten as vegetable to cure night blindness.

Root powder effective in stomach disorder, particularly intestinal colic and in expelling intestinal worms, curing asthma, kidney and heart problem, gonorrhoea, anaemia, cough, nervous weakness and paralysis. The roots are considered useful for jaundice. A paste of the root can be applied in several skin diseases.

March 2 2024

Hukka bel

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It is an erect perennial, climber on hedges and road side pebbles through out
the area. Leaves reniform with pointed tip. Leaves much variable in shape
and size. Flowers solitary and dark purple. Fruit an oblong ellipsoid capsule.
Seeds 2 lobed and compressed. Flowering and Fruiting in September to
February

Part used: Whole plant
Usage : An infusion of whole dried plant is used as an anthelmintic,
purgative, anti-inflammatory and antiperiodic. Decoction of the root expels round worms. Leaf juice mixed with mustard oil cures skin diseases like eczema. Leaf paste is used for expulsion of the guinea worms from the
affected part. Lotion is prepared by crushing/soaking seeds in water that
softens hairs.

Agrotechniques : It occurs abundantly in nature and complete Agrotechniques are yet to be standardized. It requires good ordinary and well drained soil in which stem cuttings can be planted directly during rainy season.

March 2 2024

Kateli

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Naturalized throughout as weed of waste places, croplands, gardens and drains. A prickly annual whitish green herb with erect usually branched stem. Leaves sessile with slightly incised undulate margins and white veins.
Sharp, yellow prickles on leaf margin and mid rib. Flowers yellow solitary, axillary. Fruit a prickly capsule, oblong or elliptic with many seeds. Seeds small round, blackish brown and pitted. Flowering and fruiting throughout the year in moist localities but mainly from January to April.

Part used: Whole plant

Usage: Plant juice is used in eye infection, cataract problem, to increase eyesight and to relieve rheumatic pain, cutaneous affections and jaundice. Roots are useful in chronic skin diseases. The leaves are rubbed on the skin to cure scabies. Seeds laxative, expectorant, demulcent and cure cold, cough, asthma and other respiratory problems. Seed oil is used externally for skin diseases. Seed paste applied for tooth decay and pyorrhea.

Agrotechniques : Not Available as it is collected directly from the wild.

March 1 2024

Kalmegh

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An erect branched annual herb in moist and shady plains of uncultivated fields it is also cultivated now. Stem quadrangular, branched with longitudinal furrows.
Leaves dark simple, opposite, green and lanceolate. Flowers pale purple in axillary and terminal, panicle racemes. Fruits almost linear-oblong compressed capsules. Seeds subquadrate or oblong, numerous and yellowish brown. Flowering and fruiting from August to February.

Part used: Whole plant

Usage: The extract of whole plant is useful in jaundice, liver troubles, bronchitis and diabetes. Many household medicines known as “Alvi” is prepared from the leaves and is given to children suffering from stomach
complaints. A decoction of plant is considered a blood purifier and its extract or infusion is reportedly used to relieve fever. The dried leaves and tender shoots constitute the well known drug ‘Kalmegh’ or ‘green chiretta’ used as bitter tonic and febrifuge.

Agrotechniques : Seeds sown during May-June. Seedling transplanted at a distance of 60×60 cm and irrigated 2-3 times with regular weeding. Whole plant harvested during November to January.