Traditional medicine

March 4 2024

Pilwan

hello Blog Ayurvedic herb, Herbal remedies, Medicinal plant, Natural healing, Pilwan, Pilwan benefits, Pilwan leaves, Pilwan uses, Plant-based medicine, Traditional medicine 0

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

Arni

hello Blog Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties, Arni flower, Arni leaves, Arni plant, Ayurvedic plant, Clerodendrum multiflorum, Clerodendrum serratum, Health benefits, herbal extracts, Herbal remedies, medicinal herb, Natural healing, natural medicine, Traditional medicine 0

An erect bushy shrub on hummocky sands in the desert. It has pubescent,
whitish grey quadrangular branches. Leaves ovate, rhomboid with crenatedentate margins. Flowers white, 3-9 flowered arranged in a rounded terminal panicles, and fragrant. Fruit obovoid drupe and 4 lobed. Flowering and fruiting in October to March.

Part used: Root, Leaf and Seed

Usage : It is one of the important ingredient of the Ayurvedic formulation
‘Dasamula’. Aromatic roots are acrid, astringent, cardio-tonic and carminative. Decoction of fresh root cures measles. Leaves bitter and their juice is effective in syphilis. Extract of leaves cures flatulence and leaf paste heals wounds. Decoction of leaves and poultice is used for curing piles. Infusion of leaves treats fever, colic and flatulence. Leaf paste is tide over stomach for reducing urinary inflammations. Seed powder is useful in the treatment of rheumatism.

Agrotechniques : Since it is collected from wild, its Agrotechniques is not available. It can be propagated through seed/cuttings

March 4 2024

Matira

hello Blog Citrullus lanatus, Cucurbitaceae family, Drought-tolerant, Edible fruit, Fruit cultivation, Hydrating fruit, Medicinal properties, Nutritional benefits, Traditional medicine, Watermelon 0

A climbing or trailing hispid annual cultivated in the warmer parts of the area. Stern densely hairy with bifid tendrils. Leaves triangular lobed and densely hairy. Male flowers in the axil of spoon shaped bracts and greenish
yellow in colour. Female flowers on long peduncles and also yellow in colour. Fruit globose to ellipsoid, smooth, with dark green irregular bands or lines. Seed numerous, compressed, dark brown, black and white. Flowering
and fruiting in August to December.

Part used: Fruit and Seed

Usage: Pulp is sweet, appetizer and refreshing with cooling effect. Fruit juice stored for one year is used as an antidote in snakebite. Seeds are diuretic. Seed powder is used during famine for preparation of bread.

Agrotechniques : Cultivated through seeds. Direct sowing of seed done in the field during rainy season. Irrigation not required. Ripe fruits are collected and used as such. Seeds also collected from the ripe fruits and
dried in the sun light.

March 4 2024

Hadjod

hello Blog Anti-inflammatory, Ayurvedic plant, Bone fractures, Bone healing plant, Bone setter, Cissus quadrangularis, Hadjod, Herbal medicine, Herbal remedy, Joint health, Nutritional supplement, Osteoporosis remedy, Plant extract, Traditional medicine, Veldt grape 0

A succulent, glabrous deciduous climber in gardens with distinct nodes and
internodes. The stem is thick, quadrangular, ridged and dichotomously branched restricted at the nodes. Tendrils long and simple. Leaves thick coriaceous, broadly ovate smooth on both the surfaces. The flowers are in short cymes and the fruit is globose berry, 1- seeded and red when ripe. Flowering and fruiting in July to January.

Part used: Stem

Usage: The plant is carminative, anthelmintic, aphrodisiac and stomachic. It is used in the treatment of gastro intestinal disorders and indigestion. Crushed stem is used as a poultice for bone setting. Soaked green gram ground to paste is mixed with paste of its one internode. This mixture is fried in butter and consumed for a week for early bone setting. It is also used to relieve burns, wounds and the bites of poisonous insects. The juice of stem is said to be beneficial in scurvy. The paste of fresh shoots/stem heals bums and wounds healing.

Agrotechniques : It can be propagated through stem cuttings.

March 4 2024

Saramasi

hello Blog Ayurvedic herb, Ethnobotany, Herbal remedies, Herbal treatments, Medicinal properties, Natural health, Phytotherapy, Plant-based healing, Saramasi plant, Traditional medicine 0

An ornamental perennial herb with erect stem, flexible branches bearing leaves which are simple cauline, opposite, exstiputate, petiolate and glossy. Flower 2-3, in axillary cymes and in terminal clusters, white to pinkish purple. Fruit is a cylindrical follicle with many black seeds (two varieties var. alba white flowered and var. rose us pink coloured flowers). Flowering and fruiting almost through out the year.

Part used: Whole plant

Usage : Maximum concentrations of alkaloids like vincristine and vinblastin found in root bark particularly during flowering. All parts have hypoglycaemic properties and are used to treat diabetes. Plant infusion if gargled, is said to relieve sore throat and laryngities. Extract of leaves is applied as antidote to wasp stings. Decoction of stem and leaves is used for regulating menstruation, urine and kidney problem. Leaves are emetic and diaphoretic. The alkaloid vincristine derived from leaves is used for the treatment of acute leukaemia including lymphocytic
leukaemia.

Agrotechniques : It can be raised directly by seeding in the field @ 2.5 kg/ha. 1/2 kg seeds are required to prepare plants in nursery. Plants should be transplanted after 60 days of sowing at 30 cm x 45 cm. One to three irrigations required, along with weeding. After 6 months of growth, the picking of leaves can be done and thereafter picking can be done every 3 months. The leaves should be dried in the shade. Roots should be harvested after 8-10 months.

March 4 2024

Amaltas

hello Blog Amaltas tree, Ayurvedic herb, Cassia fistula, Deciduous tree, Ethnobotanical use, Golden shower tree, Herbal remedy, Horticultural species, Indian laburnum, Medicinal plant, Ornamental tree, Ratchaphruek, Traditional medicine, Tropical tree, Yellow flowers 0

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

hello Blog Alexandrian senna, Ayurvedic herb, Botanical purgative, Cassia, Cathartic plant, Constipation relief, Digestive aid, Herbal remedy, Laxative, Medicinal plant, Natural detox, Senna, Sonamukhi, Tinnevelly senna, Traditional medicine 0

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

hello Blog Ayurveda, Ayurvedic herb, Croton, Detoxifying, Digestive aid, Gastrointestinal health, Herbal remedy, Jatropha, Kapal kathi, Kapalphoti, Laxative, Medicinal plant, Natural treatment, Traditional medicine, Tropical plant 0

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 4 2024

Kerro

hello Blog Arid region, Cactus family, Caralluma, Desert plant, Drought-resistant, Edible plant, Herbal remedy, Indigenous flora, Kerro, medicinal herb, Ornamental plant, Staple food, Succulent, Succulent plant, Traditional medicine 0

Occuning on rocks, gravel and impeded sandy loamy plains, and even stabilized sand dunes it is a much branched, glabrous leafless spinous shrub or small tree with zigzag green branches and scanty small caducous leaves Flowers usually 2-8 in terminal fascicles and red in colour. Fruit is a subglobose ovoid berry, consist of many seeds. The ripe berry is scarlet red. Flowering and fruiting in March-June, some times September-December.

Part used: Fruit, Stem and Root

Usage: Powdered young shoot cures toothache. The tender branches and young leaves are used as plaster for boils and swellings. Bark is useful for cough and asthma. Root bark is given in intermittent fever, rheumatism and Inflammation. The ash of root used for bone setting. Fruit edible, useful in biliousness and cardiac trouble. Dried powdered fruit is used to cure cough and as vermifuge. The fresh juice of the stem cures ring worm disease.

Agrotechniques : The rooted stem cuttings are transplanted in 3×3 m spaced pits (SO x SO x 50cm) during rainy season. One irrigation is required after transplantation, followed by weeding. Unripe and ripe fruits are collected from plants. Unripe fruits dried in shade and graded into smaller, medium and big sized products.

March 2 2024

Phogro

hello Blog Adaptation to dry climates, Arid zone vegetation, Calligonum polygonoides, Desert plant, Drought-resistant, Ethnobotanical importance, Medicinal shrub Arid region flora, Medicinal uses, Phogro, Phogro plant, Salt-tolerant, Thorny shrub, Traditional medicine, Xerophyte 0

An evergreen leafless shrub with pale glabrous branches on sandy hummocky area. Stem ash coloured, with internodes 3-4 cm. long. Flowers light pink. Fruits oblong densely covered with brown coloured bristles.
Flowering and fruiting in April-May.

Part used : Whole plant

Usage: The aqueous paste of whole plant is given orally to the person who has taken heavy dose of opium as it acts as emetic. It gives cooling effect to the body. Flower buds effective in sun stroke. Flowers and fruits used in butter milk during summer. The juice of plant applied in eyes to remove the poisonous effects of Calotropis procera latex if gets into or contacted with eyes. Decoction of root is used as a gargle for sore gums.

Agrotechniques : Stem cutting 20-25 cm long, 1 cm thick can be used to raise saplings. Seeds can be sown November – December and transplanted in July-August at 3×2 m spacing.