Wednesday, February 27, 2008

ALSTONIA SCHOLARIS | saptparni


ALSTONIA SCHOLARIS

FAMILY :-APOCYNACEAE
COMMON NAME :- hindi:-chhatin
Gujrati:-saptparna
Marathi:-satvin
English name:- Devil”s tree


Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Tribe: Plumeriae
Subtribe: Alstoniinae
Genus: Alstonia
Species: A. scholaris


LOCATION:-
it is Large green reaching up to about 25m high ; having bitter milky juice: bark rough, dark grey; branches whorled; base of the tree often fluid or buttressed. Leaves leathery,10-20 cm long,4-7 in a whorl. Flowers small, greenish white, spice-scented in many- flowered clusters. Fruits very long, 30-60 cm, narrow and slender in pairs and forming dence clusters.


MEDICINAL USES:-
Chhatim is the dried bark of the tree.
This drug is considered very efficacious in chronic diarrhea and dysentery. It is useful in material fever and brings down the temperature gradually and with ought causing perspiration or exhaustion, which usually follow other medicine for malaria.
Chhatim is useful also in skin diseases.
OTHER USES
The wood of the tree is used for inferior quality furniture, packing cases, tea boxes, pencils and matchsticks.the timber of the tree was ysed in olden times for making wooden slates for school children ; this was the origin of the specific name scholaris for the plant.

GREATER GALANGAL | adrak


GREATER GALANGAL

FAMILY :-ZINGIBERACEAE

BOTANICAL NAME :-ALPINIA GALANGA

COMMON NAME :-KULINJAN


Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Subfamily: Alpinioideae
Tribe: Alpinieae
Genus: Alpinia
Species: A. galanga


DESCRIPTION :-A herbaceous plant up2 m high; leaves long, narrow, green above, pale beneath, whitish on margins, median nerve very strong. Flowers about 3 cm long, greenish, white, in compound dense bunches; lip of corolla white, streaked with red. Fruits orange-red, size of small cherry. Rhizomes slightly aromatic.

DISTRIBUTION :- The plants occurs naturally in the easter Himalayas and the Western Ghats; it is also cultivated at several places.

MEDICINAL USES :-Greater Galangal is the dried rhizome of this plant. It is useful in rheumatisms, respiratory complaints, specially of children, and in bronchial catarrh. The drugs is also considered useful in stomach complaints and as a tonic, deodorant and disinfectant.It is a stimulant aromatic like ginger.

OTHER SPECIES
:-Another important species of the genus Alpinia is a .offcinarum hance(lesser galangal); it is native of china. The rhizomes obtained from the Chinese species have stronger odour and taste. The plant is extensively cultivated in Bengal and northern India

ADHATODA ZEYLANICA | ADULSA


Scieitific classification of Adhatoda  zeylanica and Image.
Family:-Acanthaceae
common and local names:-
Hindi:-Adusa
Marathi:-Adulsa
Sanskrit:-Vasaka

Description of Adulsa:-A tall much-branched, dence, evergreen shrub, with large, lance-shaped leaves. Flowers in dense, short spikes; stalks of the spike shorter than leaves. Leaves-like structure called bracts, present on the spikes; these are conspicuously veined. Corolla(the whorls of petals) of the flower is white few purplish markings. Fruits capsular, 4-seeded.

Medicinal uses of Adulsa : The "drug use" from the fresh or dried leaves of the plant. Leaves contain an alkaloid vasicine, and an essential oil. The chief use of vasaka is as an expectorant; it is given in the form of juice, syrup or decoration, It softens the thick sputum, facilitates its coming out and thus bring about quick relief in bronchitis. The expectorant activity is due to stimulation of bronchial glands. Larger doses can, however, cause irritation and vomiting. Recent experiments have confirmed the usefulness
of vasaka.

• The leaves of this plant are also utilized as green manure and for yielding a yellow dye.
• Due to the presence of certain alkaloids, the leaves are not easily attacked by fungi and insects, and are, therefore, used in packing or storing fruits.
• The leaves emit an unpleasant smell and are spared from browsing; the plan is, therefore, suitable for planting in soil reclamation programmed, seesd are also useful..
more plants species are there....

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

ACALYPHA INDICA | khokahli

ACALYPHA INDICA  | khokahli
ACALYPHA INDICA khokahli

FAMILY:- Euphorbiaceae
Common name:-
Hindi:- khokali,kuppi

Medicinal uses of ACALYPHA INDICA :- the whole plant of this herb collected in its flowering stages; and dried, constituents the drugs Acalypha.

The properties of this drug resemble those of Ipecac.it is useful in broncitis
,asthma, pneumonia and rheumatism, its roots and leaves have laxative properties. juice of leaves is considered an efficient emetic, that is ,a medicine for causing vomiting. A product of fresh leaves is useful on ulcers.

nature- An annual herb, up about 75cm high. Leaves 3-8cm long ,ovate, thin usually 3-nerved;margins of the leaves toothed; leafstalks longer than leaves. flowers auxiliary erect spikes; female flower supported by conspicuous wedge-shaped bracts: male flower : minute , borne towards the top of their spike. Fruits small, hairy, concealed in the bracts.

ACORUS CALAMUS | BHUTA | Gorabach | Vekhand


ACORUS CALAMUS

FAMILY :- AREACEAE

INDIAN NAME

Hindi :-Gorabach

Marathi :-Vekhand

Sanskrit :-Bhuta-nasini



Classification :-

Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Liliopsida

Order: Acorales

Family: Acoraceae

Genus: Acorus

Species: A. calamus

NATURE :-A herbaceous plant with long, creeping and much-branched aromatic rhizomes.Flowering shoots supported by a large leaf like structure called spathe. Flowers small, pale-green , in 5-10 cm long cylindric spikes called spadix; fruits yellowish in colour.

MEDICINAL USES The dried rhizomes of the plant constitute the drug Calamus and are used in medicine.

Due to presence of a volatile oil, Calamus acts as a carminative, that is , it relieves flatulence and feelingof overfulness of stomach, and increase appetite.It is considered a household ramedy for an flatulent colic.Due to its essential oil contents, its act as an expectorant, that is ,it promotes flow of bronchial secretions and is useful in diarrhea and dysentery. Calamus also acts as emetic, and larger doeses can causes violent vomiting.

The leaves and rhizomes are also used for flavouring drinks , for for prfumary roots are used as vermifuge. The oil from the rhizome is good nerve-stimulant and the essential-oil-free alcoholic extract show marked sedative and analgesic.The antibacterial activity of the rhizome has recently been shown experimentally.