Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

506 Polycarpaea corymbosa Lam.
P
as Chamkhirni. The leaves contain
alpha-and beta-amyrin, lupeol, betasitosterol,
stigmasterol and campesterol.
The stems and leaves contain the
triterpene, suberosol, which showed
anti-HIV replication activity. The stem
bark contains alkaloids, oxostephanine
and lanuginosine, which exhibited
antibacterial activity against several
Gram-positive and Gram-negative
bacteria.
Polycarpaea corymbosa Lam.
Family ◮ Caryophyllaceae.
Habitat ◮ Throughout the greater
part of India, ascending up to
2,100 m in the Himalaya.
Ayurvedic ◮ Parpata (substitute).
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Nilaisedachi.
Folk ◮ Pittapaaparaa (Uttar Pradesh),
Rupaaphuli (Gujarat).
Action ◮ Leaves—anti-inflammatory,
applied as poultice. Also prescribed
in jaundice in the form of pills with
molasses. Flowering head, along
with stem and leaves—astringent,
demulcent. Plant—spermicidal.
The plant gave camelliagenins (barrigenol)
and stigmasterol.
Polycarpon prostratum
(Forsk.) Alschers & Schweinf.
Synonym ◮
Hook. f.
P. loeflingii Benth. &
Family ◮ Caryophyllaceae.
Habitat ◮ Throughout the warmer
parts of India in fields and waste
places.
Folk ◮ Ghima, Suretaa.
Action ◮ Leaves—an infusion of
roasted leaves is given for cough
following fever, particularly in
measles.
Alcoholic extract of the plant exhibits
spasmolytic activity. The aerial
parts contain tetrahydroxy triterpenes.
Presence of a triterpenoid saponin, and
hentriacontane, hentriacontanol, betaamyrin
and its acetate, beta-sitosterol
and stigmasterol is also reported.
Polygala chinensis
auct. non Linn.
Synonym ◮ P. arvensis Willd.
Family ◮ Polygalaceae.
Habitat ◮ Throughout India and the
Andamans.
English ◮ Senega.
Folk ◮ Meradu, Maraad, Negali
(Maharashtra). Maraad (Nepal).
Action ◮ Root—antiasthmatic; used
as a substitute for Senega obtained
from the American plant Polygala
senega. (In Chinese medicine
Senega refers to P. tenuifolia Willd.)
Key application ◮ Senega Root—
in productive cough, catarrh of
the respiratory tract and chronic
bronchitis. (German Commission E,
ESCOP, WHO.)
Senega yielded lactonic lignans,
their glycosides and flavonol glycosides.
The root gave arctiin, afzelin,