Medicinal Plants
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Dudura
Botanical name: Datura metel Family: Solanaceae Local name: Dudura, Dhatura, Dhaladudura Common name: Indian beech, Seashore mempari, pongame oil tree, pongam tree. Parts used: Leaf, seeds Plant character: It is an annual shrub with white tubular flowers and round spiny fruits. This plant needs full sun, fertile soil and regular watering. Commonly grows in the wild but can be cultivated. USES:
Leaf juice is slightly warmed and applied on the affected part to cure rheumatism. Dry leaves and seeds are burnt and smoked as cigarette to control asthma.
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Gaba
Botanical name: Ricinus communis Family: Euphorbiaceae Local name: Gaba, Jada Common name: Castor oil plant Parts used: Seeds Plant character: It is a large shrub or small tree. The leaves are large, peltate, glaucous beneath. Flowers in terminal racemes, yellowish-white. Fruits spiny; seeds brown, mottled. This plant prefers full sun, but it can grow in partial shade. The species grow gregariously in waste places and are also cultivated for its seed oil. USES:
The seeds are used in traditional medicine for abdominal disorders, arthritis, backache, muscle aches, bilharziasis, chronic backache and sciatica, chronic headache, constipation, menstrual cramps, rheumatism, sleeplessness, and insomnia. The seeds are a source of castor oil.
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Gangasiuli
Botanical name: Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Family: Oleaceae Local name: Gangasiuli, Singadahar, Sefali Common name: Tree of sadness/night blooming jasmine Parts used: Leaf, flower, seeds Plant character: It is a small night-flowering tree with flaky grey bark, simple leaves and small fragrant flowers having white petals and orange tube. It requires full sun or part shade. Wild in dry deciduous forests also planted in the gardens and parks for its fragrant flower. USES:
Leaves have been used in Homeopathy and Ayurvedic medicine mainly to cure malaria and other fevers, arthritis, obstinate sciatica and hyper acidity.
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Gayasa
Botanical name: Leucas aspera Family: Lamiaceae Local name: Gayasa, Gaisha saga Common name: Thumabi, Thumba Parts used: Leaf Plant character: It is an erect and branched annual herb with hairt aromatic leaves and white flowers. It needs full sunlight but can withstand partial shade. Wild in waste places, roadsides, cultivated fields and forest edges. USES:
The tender leaves are edible as a leafy vegetable. The leaves are crushed and the juice is used to cure cough and cold. Paste of leaves is massaged over gums and teeth to cure mouth ulcer.
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Ghikuanari
Botanical name: Aloe vera
(=Aloe barbadensis)Family: Liliaceae Local name: Ghikuanari, Ghritakumari Common name: Aloevera Parts used: Leaf (Gel) Plant character: Aloe vera is a short-stemmed succulent herb with fleshy and spine-edged leaves. It performs best in full sun. It grows wild but are extensively cultivated in homesteads, gardens and parks. USES:
Aloe-vera has clear gel and it is widely used to manufacture of cosmetics and health tonics. Traditionally Aloe vera is used in skin treatment, leucorrhoea and to cure migraine.
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Gudamari
Botanical name: Gymnema sylvestre Family: Asclepiadaceae Local name: Gudamari, Mendi, Madhunasini Common name: Gymnema, Gurmar Parts used: Leaf Plant character: It is a slender climber with hairy stems and leaves. Flowers are small, greenish-yellow; fruits poniard-shaped, acute at apex. It thrives best in full sunlight to partial sunlight. It is wild in forests and village hedges; also cultivated. USES:
Traditionally leave extracts have been used to cure diseases like constipation, diabetes, cough, stomach problem and viral infections. The leaves when chewed, keep the tongue tasteless for sometime.
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Guduchi
Botanical name: Tinospora cordifolia Family: Menispermaceae Local name: Guduchi, Guluchilata, Giloy Common name: Indian tinospora Parts used: Stem, Stem bark, Aerial roots Plant character: It is a robust climber with aerial roots, corky bark. The leaves are cordate; flowers are greenish-white and fruits are deep red when ripe. It thrives in indirect sunlight. Very common in village thickets, hedges and on forest trees. USES:
Tinospora cordifollais an important ayurvedic medicine used to cure all types of fever, jaundice, pain and also to boost immunity.
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Hadabhanga
Botanical name: Cissus quadrangularis
(=Vitis quadrangularis)Family: Vitaceae Local name: Hadabhanga, Hadajoda Common name: Adamant creeper Parts used: Winged stem Plant character: It is a perennial climbing plant with fleshy jointed stems and inconspicuous leaves. It is a sun-loving plant and need support to grow. The plant can survive in shady location with an occasional bright light but prefer sunlight. This can be grown as a succulent plant in gardens. USES:
Stem is used for curing bone fracture, to stop nasal or ear bleeding.
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Haladi
Botanical name: Curcuma longa Family: Zingiberaceae Local name: Turmeric Common name: Turmeric Parts used: Rhizome Plant character: It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant. Flowers are yellow, inside prominent white bracts, borne on long-spikes. Rhizomes are yellow inside. These plants thrive best in full sun. It is a cultivated plant. USES:
Turmeric with taken with jiggery to cure all types of eczema. Dried powder with water is applied on skin for skin diseases. Root is used for nasal bleeding and skin diseases.
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Harida
Botanical name: Terminalia chebula Family: Combretaceae Local name: Harida, Haridra Common name: Chebulicmyrobalan Parts used: Fruit Plant character: It is a large, deciduous tree with obovate leaves and globose fruits. The flowers are yellowish-white, foetid. It prefers sunlight. It is wild in deciduous forests but also planted in parks, gardens. USES:
In ayurvedic formulation of triphala used for constipation, colic pain and kidney dysfunctions, eye diseases, and sore throat. It is the main ingredient used for kidneys and liver dysfunctions. It is very useful for jaundice.
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Indramarisha
Botanical name: Acalypha indica Family: Euphorbiaceae Local name: Indramarisha Common name: Indian acalypha Parts used: Root, leaf Plant character: It is an erect annual herb with long-petioled ovate serrate leaves. Flowers minute, greenish-white, borne on inflorescence with leafy bracts. It prefers medium light and grows wild in waste places after monsoon rains; can be cultivated. USES:
The root and leaf paste are used with turmeric to cure the skin disease. Leaf paste with lime juice is given in ringworm infection. The leaf paste is given to control dysentery.
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Jamu
Botanical name: Syzygium cumini
(=Eugenia jambolana)Family: Myrtaceae Local name: Jamu, Jamukoli, Jamun Common name: Java Plum Parts used: Fruit, Seed, Leaf, Bark Plant character: It is an evergreen flowering plant with white flowers and deep purple to blue fleshy edible fruits. The plant needs full sunlight for ideal growth. Common along streams, river banks and damp forests; grown as avenue plant. USES:
Fruits, leaves, seeds and bark are used in Ayurvedic medicine. Fruit extract is used to treat common cold, cough, asthma and dysentery. Leaves are used to stop vomiting and seeds to control diabetes. Seed power is administered for control of diabetes.
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Kaincha
Botanical name: Abrus precatorious Family: Fabaceae Local name: Kaincha, Gunja Common name: Rusary pea, Crab’s eye Parts used: Root Plant character: It is a slender, perennial climber that twines around trees, shrubs and hedges. The leaves are compound and flowers are pink, light pink or white. The pods are cylindrical and ruptures on maturity. Seeds are red with black eye or white. It grows both in the sun and shade. Grows wild but can be cultivated. USES:
The paste of root is applied on leucodermic spots on skins.
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Kaintha
Botanical name: Limonia acidissima
(=Feronia elephantum)Family: Rutaceae Local name: Kaintha Common name: Wood apple, Elephant apple Parts used: Fruits Plant character: It is a large spiny tree, with rough, whitish bark, compound leaves, flesh-coloured flowers. Fruits are round, whitish-grey with sour pulp. The plant prefers full sunlight. It is self-shown in wastelands, near villages but widely cultivated in dry plain areas. USES:
The fruits are used to make fruit juice and pickle. Many diseases like cough, dysentery, vomiting and heart diseases are cured by this plant.
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Karanja
Botanical name: Pongamia pinnata
(=Pongamia glabra, Millettia pinnata)Family: Fabaceae Local name: Karanja Common name: Indian beech, Seashore mempari, pongame oil tree, pongam tree. Parts used: Bark,Stem, Seed oil Plant character: It is an evergreen tree with deep green compound leaves, pink/violet or bluish flowers. Pods are woody, angular; seeds yield oil. It grows well in both full sun and partial shade. Wild along streams, rivers and ponds; also planted. USES:
Pongamia pinnata is effective for treating ulcers, gonorrhea, constipation, piles, skin diseases like scabies and pediculosis.
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Kasadura
Botanical name: Eclipta prostrata
(=Eclipta alba)Family: Asteraceae Local name: Kasadura, Kesatura Common name: False Daisy Parts used: Whole plant Plant character: It is a perennial herb of permanently wet habitats. The leaves are hairy; flowers are white, in compact heads. It can grow in semi-shade conditions. It grows wild in field bunds and moist waste places. USES:
The poultice of the whole plant is used for healing wound and cuts. Leaf paste is used in snakebite and malarial fever. Traditionally, the leaf juice is used as a hair dye.
