Thursday, September 25, 2008

Hemidesmus indicus


Botanical name : Hemidesmus indicus (Linn.) R.Br.
Family : Asclepiadaceae
SANSKRIT SYNONYMS :
Sariba, Anantamoola
AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES :
Rasa : Tikta, Kashaya, Madhura,
Guna : Lakhu, Snigda
Virya : Ushna
PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES :
English :
Indian sarasaparilla, Country sarasaparilla
Hindi : Ananthamul, Magrabu
Malayalam : Naruneendi, Nannari
PLANT DESCRIPTION :
A perennial, slender, laticiferous twinning or prostrate shrub with woody stock and numerous slender stems. Leaves are simple, opposite, linear lanceolate. Flower greenish purple, sub sessile cymes in the opposite leaf axils. Fruits are slender follicles, cylindrical, 10 cm long tapering to a point at the apex, seeds are flattened, black, ovate-oblong with silvery white coma.
The tuberous root is dark brown, with transversely cracked and longitudinally fissured bark. It has a strong central vasculature and pleasant smell and taste.

CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS : Coumarin, essential oil, tannic acid, tritepenoid saponin, starch
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES :
Plant pacifies vitiated pitta, vata, skin diseases, burning sensation, leukoderma, pruritus, bronchitis, asthma, hyperdipsia, diarrhea, dysentery, hemorrhoids, leucorrhoea, rheumatism,immunosuppresent, chronic ulcer,sore mouth in children, in scrofula, arthritis, fever and general debility.
Useful part : Root

No comments: