Database on medicinal plants used in ayurveda - AYUSH Research ...

more or less hairy rachis. Pods 3-5 cm long, narrowly linear, straight or
slight incurved, hairy when young, glabrous on maturity with a short stout
beak bent upwards nearly at right angle with the pod. Seeds 8-12, oblong,
truncate or slightly rounded at the ends, smooth and dark brown in colour.
Flowering and Fruiting: August – December (Cooke, 1967; Anonymous,
2000b; Gamble, 1967; Ayer and Kolammal, 1963; Hooker, 1973; Kirtikar
and Basu, 1933).
DISTRIBUTION
Found wild throughout the greater parts of the country, especially in the
tropics from Punjab eastwards to West Bengal, Gujarat, Maharashtra,
Deccan, N. Circars, Tamil Nadu, grows wild in the plains in southern parts of
India (Cooke, 1967; Anonymous, 1976). Also occurs in Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines,
Madagascar and New Guinea (Kirtikar and Basu, 1933; Haines, 1961;
Gamble, 1967).
PART(S) USED
Whole plant, root, fruit (Sharma, 1978; B.N., 1982).
ACTIONS AND USES
The fruit is bitter, cooling and sweet. It is used as aphrodisiac, stomachic,
nervine tonic, astringent to the bowels, antipyretic and galactagogue,
(Kirtikar and Basu, 1933). It is also used in inflammation, biliousness, blood
diseases, gout, fevers, bronchitis, thirst, burning sensation, paralysis,
rheumatism, affections of the nervous system, haemoptysis, tuberculosis and
catarrh (Chatterjee and Pakrashi, 1992).
AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES
Rasa – Madhura, Tikta.
Guna – Ruksha (S.S.Su.46.36), Laghu, Snigdha (Sharma, 1978; B.N., 1982).
Vipaka – Madhura.
Veerya – Sheeta.
Doshaghnata – Pittanashaka (S.S.Su.46.46), Kaphavataghna
(A.H.Su.6.169), Vatapitta shamak, Kaphavardhak (Sharma, 1978; B.N.,
1982).
Karma – Deepana, Snehana, Anulomana, Grahi, Raktapittashamaka
(C.S.Ci.4.84), Raktashodhaka, Shothhara, Shukrajanana (C.S.Su.4-9.19),
Jwarghna, Dahaprashmana, Jeevaniya (C.S.Su.4-9.1), Balavardhaka
(S.S.Su.46.46; A.H.Su.15.9.) (Sharma, 1978; B.N., 1982).
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