Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

heumatic ailments. (German
Commission E.) The British Herbal
Pharmacopoeia reported antiinflammatory
action. The British
Herbal Compendium additionally
reported analgesic, antipyretic,
antirheumatic and astringent
actions of the willow bark.
The bark contains phenolic glycosides;
salicin, picein and triandrin
with esters of salicylic acid and salicyl
alcohol, acetylated salicin, salicortin
and salireposide; tannins; catechin; pcoumaric
acid; flavonoids and polysaccharides.
Salicylic acid inhibits prostaglandin
production, relives pain and brings
down fever.
Salix babylonica Linn.
Family ◮ Salicaceae.
Habitat ◮ North India, along the
banks of rivers nad water-courses.
English ◮ Weeping Willow.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Aatru Paalai.
Folk ◮ Giur (Kashmir). Bed.
Action ◮ Leaves and bark—
astringent, antipyretic. Used in
intermittent and remittent fevers.
Bark—anthelmintic. Biological
activity of aerial part—antiviral,
CNS active, hypothermic.
The leaves are reported to contain
delphinidin and cyanidin, fragilin,
salicin, salicortin, salidroside, tremuloidin,
triandrin and vimalin. Salicin
content in the stems and leaves is reported
to be 3 to 4%. The bark yields
Salix caprea Linn. 571
phenolics—triandrin, salicin, gallocatechol,
catechol.
Salix caprea Linn.
Family ◮ Salicaceae.
Habitat ◮ Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal
Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
English ◮ Sallow, Goat Willow,
Common Willow.
Ayurvedic ◮ Vetasa, Vaanira,
Vidula, Vanjula, Vaanjulaa. In
Kerala Homonoia riparia Lour.,
Euphorbiaceae, is used as Vetasa or
Jalavetasa.
Unani ◮ Bed Mushk.
Action ◮ Distilled water from flowers—cordial,
stimulant; externally
applied to headache. Stem and
leaves—astringent. Leaves—decoction
used as febrifuge. Bark and
twigs—astringent, applied to piles.
Ash of wood—used in haemoptysis;
mixed with vinegar, applied to piles.
Alkaloids, glycosides and saponins
of male racemes increase the amplitude
and slow the heartbeat and act more
rapidly than digitalis on isolated frog
heart.
Flavonoids present in the male racemes
are: diometin, isorhamnetin, capreoside
and salicapreoside.
Phenol glycosides present in the
bark are: delphinidin, cyanidin, pipecolic
acid, fragilin, picein, salicin, salicortin,
salireproside, triandrin and
vimalin. Tannin content is reported to
be 8–13%.
Salix daphnoides Vill. and Salix elegans
Wall. (The Himalayas from Kash-
S