Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

The leaves contain 30 mg/100 g ascorbic
acid.
R. crispus is pharmacologically more
active than rhubarb, because the extracts
of the roots of the former contain
more quantity of anthraquinones
(2.17%) than the extracts of the latter
(1.42%).
It has been suggested that Amlavetas
should be equated with R. crispus.
Rumex dentatus Linn.
Family ◮ Polygonaceae.
Habitat ◮ The Himalayas up to
300 m, and in the plains from
Assam to Western and Southern
India.
Folk ◮ Jangali Paalak.
Action ◮ Plant—astringent; used in
cutaneous disorders.
The leaves contain vitamin C 115 mg
and vitamin A value 11,700 IU/100 g
and are a rich source of calcium and
beta-carotene. The dried leaves contained
7.8% of flavonoids and 0.04% of
anthraquinone derivatives. Flavonoids
include rutin, avicularin, quercitrin,
quercetin. Roots contain chrysophanic
acid and emodin, the total anthraquinone
content being 0.13%.
Rumex hastatus D. Don.
Family ◮ Polygonaceae.
Habitat ◮ Western Himalayas from
Kumaon to Kashmir, between 300–
2,400 m.
Rumex nepalensis Spreng. 563
Folk ◮ Amlora, Chumlora (Kumaon);
Khattimal, Katambal (Punjab).
Action ◮ Astringent.
The root and bark yield 21–23% tannin.
Rumex maritimus Linn.
Family ◮ Polygonaceae.
Habitat ◮ The temperate Himalayas,
Assam, Bengal, Western Ghats and
the Nilgiris.
English ◮ Golden Dock.
Ayurvedic ◮ Kunanjara.
Unani ◮ Seeds—Beejband, (siyah or
safed), Jangali Paalak.
Action ◮ Leaves—catharitic; externally
applied to burns. Seeds—
incorporated in sex-tonics as aphrodisiac.
(Seeds of Sida cordifolia
and Abutilon indicum are also used
as Beejband.) Roots are used as
a substitute for rhubarb.
The leaves contain anthraquinones
both in free and bound forms. The
fruits contain rumarin (0.12%) rutin
and hyperin. The seeds contain 5.1%
tannin.
The roots are purgative; contain
chrysophanic acid, saccharose and tannin
(6%).
The seeds and leaves contain rumarin,
rutin, hyperin, chrysophanic
acid, charose, tannin, emodin and its
monoethyl ether, beta-sitosterol and
its glucoside.
Rumex nepalensis Spreng.
Family ◮ Polygonaceae.
R