Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

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8 Acacia pennata (L.) Willd.
The rootbark contains leucophleol,
leucophleoxol and leucoxol.
Acacia pennata (L.) Willd.
Family ◮ Mimosaceae.
Habitat ◮ Throughout India; ascending
to 1,700 m in the Himalayas.
Ayurvedic ◮ Lataakhadira, Aadaari,
Ari.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Indan, Indu. Iyak
Koluntu (tender leaves).
Folk ◮ Aila.
Action ◮ Bark—antibilious, antiasthmatic.
Leaf—stomachic, styptic
(for bleeding gum), antiseptic (for
scalding of urine). A decoction of
young leaves is taken for body pain,
headache and fever.
The bark contains tannin 9%, lupeol
and alpha-spinasterol. Stem yields
sitosterol.
Acacia senegal Willd.
Synonym ◮ A. verek Guillem and
Perr.
Family ◮ Mimosaceae.
Habitat ◮ Native to Sudan. Cultivated
in dry parts of western India.
English ◮ Gum arabic tree.
Ayurvedic ◮ Shveta Babbuula.
Action ◮ The tree yields the true Gum
arabic of commerce. Mucilaginous,
demulcent, emulsifying agent. Used
as an ingredient in compounds for
treatment of diarrhoea, catarrh.
Bechic, antihaemorrhagic, antiinflammatory.Stembark—antiinflammatory,
spasmolytic. Root—
used for dysentery and urinary
discharges.
The gum consists mainly of arabin.
It is the salt of an organic acid, arabic
acid, with metals such as calcium,
magnesium and potassium.
The stembark gives octacosanol,
beta-amyrin, uvaol, beta-stosterol and
its glucoside and erthrodiol. An alkaloid,
dimethyltryptamine has been
isolated from the leaves.
Acacia suma Buch.-Ham.
Synonym ◮ A. polycantha Willd.
Family ◮ Mimosaceae.
Habitat ◮ WestBengal,Bihar,western
peninsula.
Ayurvedic ◮ Shveta Khadira, Kadara,
Somavalkala.
Unani ◮ Khor, Safed Khair.
Action ◮ Cutch is prepared from the
heartwood. See A. catechu.
Acacia ferruginea DC. is also equated
with Shveta Khadira.
Acacia torta (Roxb.) Craib.
Synonym ◮ A. intsia Willd.
A. caesia Wright and Arn. non-
Willd.
Family ◮ Mimosaceae.
Habitat ◮ Throughout India in the dry
and intermediate zones; ascending
to an altitude of about 1,200 m in
the Himalayas.