Author: Mystique

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Moringa Oleifera Leaves

Botanical Name:Moringa oleifera

Other Names:Horseradish tree, drumstick tree, African moringa, radish tree, arango, badumbo, ben, bentree, ben oil tree, caragua, murunga, murinna, moringo, la mu shu, maranga- calalu, teberindo.

The leaves of the Moringa plant are arranged alternately, measuring 7-60 cm in length. They are tripinnately compound, and each pinnate features 4-6 pairs of leaflets. These leaflets are dark green, elliptical to obovate, and approximately 1-2 cm in length. The inflorescences of Moringa are 10-20 cm long, forming spreading panicles that host numerous fragrant flowers.

Medicinal Uses:

  • Protecting and nourishing skin and hair
  • Treating edema
  • Protecting the liver
  • Preventing and treating cancer
  • Treating stomach upset
  • Fighting foodborne bacterial infections
  • Preventing rheumatoid arthritis
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Salacia Reticulata Roots

Botanical Name: Salacia Reticulata

Other Names: Saptarangi, Chinese salacia, Lolly berry, Ekanayaka, Ekanayakana Balli

Salacia reticulata Wight, belonging to the Hypocrataceae family, is a woody climbing shrub characterized by greenish-brown bark. It is native to India and Sri Lanka. Additionally, related species such as S. chinensis and S. oblonga can be found in various regions across Asia and other parts of the world.

Medicinal Uses:

  • Treating gonorrhea
  • Asthma
  • Itchiness
  • Joint pain (rheumatism)
  • Obesity
  • Thirst
  • Menstrual problems
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Gymnema Leaves

Botanical Name: Asclepiadaceae

Other Names: Gurmar, Australian cow plant, chigeng teng, buti, kober, mesasrngi, podapatri.

Gymnema (Gymnema sylvestre) is a plant indigenous to India and Africa, traditionally employed in Ayurvedic medicine. However, there is limited evidence supporting its health benefits. Gymnema is known to contain chemicals that can decrease the absorption of sugar in the stomach.

Medicinal Uses:

  • Lowers Sugar Cravings
  • Increases Insulin Production
  • Lowers Sugar Absorption
  • Blocks Lipid Absorption
  • Blocks Lipid Absorption
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Gymnema Sylvestre Leaves

Botanical Name: Asclepiadaceae

Other Names: gymnema, Australian cowplant, and Periploca of the woods, and the Hindi term gurmar.

Gymnema sylvestre, a member of the Asclepiadaceae family, is commonly referred to as “gurmar” due to its notable ability to act as a sugar destroyer. This herb holds a distinguished reputation in the Ayurvedic system of medicine.

Medicinal Uses:

  • Anti diabetic properties
  • Controlling obesity
  • Improving immunity
  • Treatment of diabetes
  • Poisonous snake bite.
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Senna Powder

Botanical Name:Cassia angustifolia

Other Names:Senai, Nelavarike, Nilavirai, Nelatangedu, Nilavilakku, Swarnapatri.

Senna is the fruit (pod) or leaf of the plant Senna alexandrina. It is approved in the US as a laxative for short-term treatment of constipation. Senna contains many chemicals called sennosides. Sennosides irritate the lining of the bowel, which causes a laxative effect.

Medicinal Uses:

  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • abdominal worms
  • Gout
  • Digestion
  • cleanse and purify the blood
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Strychnos wallichiana Steudel ex DC.

Strychnos wallichiana Steudel ex DC. (LOGANIACEAE)

Strychnos wallichiana Steudel ex DC.

Common names
Kannada: Balli kasaraka.
Malayalam: Valli-kanjira.
Tamil: Valli-kanjiram.

Description: Large woody climbers; tendrils bi-fid. Leaves ovate or elliptic, up to15 x 5 cm, rounded at base, acute or acuminate at apex, shining. Basal nerves 3; petioles up to 7 mm long. Flowers in terminal cymes, from old wood. Calyx lobes 5. Corolla lobes 5. There are five stamens with short filaments. The ovary is two-locular, with a short style and a capitate stigma. The fruit is a smooth, globose berry, approximately 10 cm across, turning yellow when ripe. It contains 3-4 flat seeds.

Flowering & Fruiting : January – May.

Distribution: India: Common in evergreen and semi-evergreen forests of Western Ghats. Sri Lanka.

Uses: Decoction of roots used in rheumatism, ulcers, elephantiasis, fever and epilepsy.

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Xylia xylocarpa Roxb.

Xylia xylocarpa Roxb.(MIMOSACEAE)

Xylia xylocarpa Roxb.

Common names
Kannada: Jambe.
Tulu: Chiruve.
Malayalam: Irumalla.
Tamil: Irul.
Telugu: Konda tangedu.
English: Burma iron wood.

Description: Large deciduous trees, 15-20 m tall with reddish-grey rough bark. Leaves bipinnate, pinnae 2; petiole 2.5-6.0 cm long with gland at the tip; pinnae 10-15 cm long; leaflets 3-5 pairs, often with an unopposed leaflet below the lowest pair, oblong-lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, 7-15 x 3-6 cm, rounded or acute at base, acute at apex, subcoriaceous, glabrous; petiolules ca 0.3 cm long. Flowers sessile, white, in globose peduncled heads, the peduncles axillary, fascicled or racemose. Calyx tubular-campanulate, 5-lobed. Petals 5, valvate, yellowish-white. Stamens 10, free; anthers tipped with stalked, deciduous gland. Ovary sessile; ovules many. The fruit is a sizable woody pod, falcate, measuring approximately 16 x 4.5 cm. It is flat and covered in a rusty tomentum. There are 6-10 seeds within, oblong-ellipsoid, about 1.5 x 1 cm in size, compressed, brown, and exhibit a smooth, polished surface.

Flowering : March – May.
Fruiting : May – January.

Distribution: India: Western Peninsula. N. Circars, Deccan, W.Ghats. Indomalesia.

Uses:

  • The wood, characterized by its reddish-brown hue, is hard, durable, and serves well for sleeper and building purposes, albeit challenging to work with. Referred to as Burma ironwood, it is a preferred timber for constructing boats, canoes, and is commonly employed in shipbuilding for elements such as knees, crooks, and keels. Widely used in the manufacture of carts, tool handles, ploughs, harrows, oil-presses, yokes, pit-props in coal mines, curbs of wells, wheels, sides of ladder, brake blocks for engines, paving blocks, electric poles, bridge construction etc.
  • A very good fuel wood. The charcoal from the wood is highly prized by iron smelters. Wood is fibrous and provides raw material for paper-pulp suitable for making wrapping paper. Bark anthelmintic, emetic, given in gonorrhoea, diarrhoea, ulcers, also used to stop vomiting; bark and seed oil antileprotic; seed oil used in rheumatism and piles.
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Wrightia tinctoria R. Br.

Wrightia tinctoria R. Br.(APOCYNACEAE)

Wrightia tinctoria R. Br.

Common names
Kannada: Beppalli, Kodamurki, Kodesige.
Malayalam: Aiyapala, Kotakappalla.
Sanskrit: Hvamovaka, Sveta kutaja.
Tamil: Nilapalai, Irumpalai, Veypale.
Telugu: Amkudu, Tedla pala.
English: Pala Indigo plant.

Description: Small deciduous trees up to 8-10 m tall with milky latex; bark scaly, smooth. Leaves opposite, variable, elliptic-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, up to 15 x 5 cm, acute or rounded at base, acuminate at apex; petioles ca 5 mm long. Flowers in lax terminal ca 6 cm long cymes, white, fragrant. Calyx glandular within, lobes 5. Corolla-tube short, lobes 5; throat of corolla-tube with fibriate conona scales in 2 rows. Stamens 5, inserted in the mouth of the corolla-tube; anthers sagitate. Ovary 2-locular; stigma 2-fid. The fruits consist of two separate pendulous follicles that are cylindrical, reaching up to 25 cm in length. When young, they cohere at the tip. The seeds are numerous, linear, 1-2 cm long, pointed at the apex, and accompanied by a deciduous coma, approximately 3 cm long, at the base.

Flowering & Fruiting: March– November.

Distribution: India: In deciduous forests, especially in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and peninsular India, Ascending to an altitude of ca 1300 m.
Sri Lanka, Timor.

Uses:

  • The flowers are utilized as a vegetable, and the tender leaves, pods, and seeds are also consumed. The wood finds extensive use in various turnery applications across different classes. It is made into cups, plates, combs, chessmen, pen-holders, pencils and bedsteadlegs. It is also used for carving, frames, spoons, small boxes and screens. It is used for making the celebrated Channapatna toys and for idols. The wood is suitable for matchboxes and splints, for making bobbins, engraving and printing-blocks, mathematical instruments and rulers. It is also suitable for stained wood inlay-work and for the manufacture of lacquerware articles.
  • The leaves yields a blue dye called Mysore Pala Indigo. The leaves are eaten by cattle, sheep and goats. In south India, the plant is used for green manuring rice fields. The handsome, jasmine-scented, star-shaped flowers are much esteemed by Hindus for offerings at temples. Bark – antidropsical, tonic, antidysenteric, used in piles, skin diseases; seed-aphrodisiac, astringent, febrifuge, antidysenteric, anthelmintic; bark and seed used in flatulence and bilious troubles.

Uses: An adhesive, useful for patching high pressure hose pipes, can be prepared from the latex. Flowers used in inflammation of cornea.

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Wendlandia thyrsoidea

Wendlandia thyrsoidea (Roemer & Schultes) Steudel (RUBIACEAE)

Wendlandia thyrsoidea

Common names
Malayalam: Pavu.
Tamil: Kadamban.

Description: Small trees, 5-10 m tall; young branches pubescent. Leaves usually ternately whorled, elliptic-lanceolate, 5-10 x 2.5-4 cm, cuneate or acute at base, acute at apex, pubescent beneath; main nerves 8-10 pairs, prominent, pink on the young leaves; petioles 5-8 mm long. Flowers in 15-30 cm long dense pyramidal hirsute panicles, yellowish, fragrant. Calyx tube globose, pubescent, lobes 5. Corolla tube cylindric, hairy inside, lobes 5. white, pale yellow. Stamens 5, inserted near the mouth of the corolla; filaments minute. The ovary is 2-locular, with a bifid style and a fusiform stigma. The fruit is a globose, loculicidal capsule, measuring approximately 3 mm in diameter, pubescent, and crowned with the calyx teeth. Numerous very small seeds are present.

Flowering & Fruiting : December – May.

Distribution: India: Frequent in hills of Deccan, Western Ghats, to the Nilgiris, Pulney and Travancore. Sri Lanka.

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Wattakaka volubilis

Wattakaka volubilis (L. f.) Stapf (ASCLEPIADACEAE)

Wattakaka volubilis

Common names
Kannada: Hegalu balli.
Tamil: Kurincha.

Description: Large twining shrubs with watery sap except milky in follicles; older branches ash-colored; often with lenticels; young branches green, slender, smooth. Leaves opposite, broadly ovate or subordicular, 6-15 x 4-12 cm, rounded or cordate at base, acuminate at apex, glabrous, softly pubescent; petioles 1.5-3 cm long. Flowers in 2-5 cm long lateral drooping umbellate cymes, green or yellowish green; peduncles arising from between the petioles. Calyx 5-partite with glands at the base. Corolla lobes 5, pale green. Corona single; lobes 5, fleshy, truncate, attached to the base of staminal column; pollinia 2, erect. Ovary 2-locular, style short, apex dome-shaped. The fruit consists of woody follicles, blunt at the apex, measuring 7-10 x 2.5 cm. They exhibit rugose striations and are glabrous. Numerous seeds, broadly ovate and 0.8 – 1.5 cm long, are flattened and pale yellowish-brown. The coma, approximately 4.5 cm long, is copious.

Flowering & Fruiting: March– November.

Distribution: India: Western Peninsula. Common in plains and hills, up to 1600 m. West Bengal, Assam. Sri Lanka, Java, Indomalesia.

Uses: Leaves, flowers and the rind of unripe fruits are boiled and eaten as a vegetable or used in curries, the cooking removes the bitterness and nauseating property of fruits. Plant yields a very strong fibre. Twining stems are used as substitute for ropes. Plant juice used as sternutatory; root and tender stalk emetic and purgative; leaf used in applications for boils and abcesses.