Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

The bark contains 8.2%–8.8% tannin
and phenol glycosides, fragilin, picein,
salicin (0.13%), salicortin, salireposide,
triandrin and vimalin. Salicase, and
calcium and potassium nitrates are also
reported from the bark.
Dosage ◮ Bark—59–100 ml decoction.
(CCRAS.)
Salmalia malabarica
(DC) Schott & Endl.
Synonym ◮ Bombax ceiba Linn.
Bombax malabaricum DC.
Gossampinus malabarica (DC.)
Merr.
Family ◮ Bombacaceae.
Habitat ◮ The hotter parts of India,
up to 1,350 m.
Ayurvedic ◮ Shaalmali, Mochaa,
Mochaahva, Pichhila, Raktapushpa,
Sthiraayu, Kankataadhya, Tuulini.
Shaalmali-veshtaka (gum).
Unani ◮ Semal. Mochras (gum).
Siddha ◮ Mul Ilavam. Ielavampisin
(gum).
Folk ◮ Semar.
Action ◮ Young roots (Semulmusali)—astringent,
(used for
dysentery) stimulant, demulcent.
Fruits—stimulant, diuretic,
expectorant. Used for chronic inflammation
of bladder, kidney also
for calculus affections. Flowers—
astringent and cooling, applied
to cutaneous affections. Leaves—
anti-inflammatory. Stem bark—
demulcent, styptic. Aqueous extract
Salmalia malabarica (DC) Schott & Endl. 573
with curd is given for blooddysentery.
Bark—paste is applied to
skin eruptions, boils, acne, pimples.
Seeds used for chickenpox, smallpox,
catarrhal affections, chronic
cystitis and genitourinary diseases.
Gum—astringent, demulcent, styptic.
Used for diarrhoea, dysentery,
haemoptysis, bleeding piles, menorrhagia,
spermatorrhoea. Root and
pod—used for the treatment of low
vitality and debility.
The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India
recommends the stem bark in
bleeding disorders and in acne vulgaris.
All parts of the plant gave betasitosterol
and its glucosides; seeds, bark
and root bark, lupeol; flowers, hentriacontane,
hentriacontanol; root bark,
in addition, gave 7-hydroxycadalene.
The seed oil yields arachidic, linoleic,
myristic, oleic and palmitic acids; seeds
contain carotenes, n-hexacosanol, ethylgallate
and tocopherols; the gum
contains gallic and tannic acids, yields
L-arbinose, D-galactose, D-galacturonic
acid and D-galactopyranose.
Younger roots contain more sugars
(arabinose and galactose 8.2%) and
peptic substances (6.0%) than the older
ones. They contain mucilage, starch
(71.2%), mineral matter (2.1%), tannins
0.4 and non-tannins 0.1%, along with
other constituents.
The Musali compares favourably
with the nutritive value of Pueraria
tuberosa, Dioscorea bulbifera, Ipomoea
digitata and Butea monosperma (all
used in sexual debility).
A related species, Salmalia insignis
(Wall.) Schott & Endl., synonym
S