Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

English ◮ Carambola, Star Fruit,
Chinese Gooseberry.
Ayurvedic ◮ Karmaranga.
Unani ◮ Khamraq, Karmal.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Tamarattai.
Folk ◮ Kamarakh.
Action ◮ Root—antidote in poisoning.
Leaf and shoot—applied
externally in ringworm, scabies,
chickenpox. Flower—vermicidal.
Fruit—laxative, antidysenteric,
antiphlogistic, febrifuge, antiinflammatory,
antispasmodic (used
in hepatic colic, bleeding piles).
Seeds—galactogenic; in large doses
act as an emmenagogue and cause
abortion.
The fruits are a fairly good source
of iron but deficient in calcium. They
also contain oxalic acid and potassium
oxalate. The presence of fluorine
is also reported. A wide variation of
vitamin-C content (0.3–23.0 mg/100 g)
is recorded from different places in India.
Sugar (3.19%) consists mainly of
glucose (1.63%).
Avicennia officinalis Linn.
Synonym ◮ A. alba Blume
Family ◮ Verbenaceae; Avicenniaceae.
Habitat ◮ A tree occurring in salt
marshes and tidal creeks.
English ◮ White mangrove.
Ayurvedic ◮ Tuvara.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Kandal.
Folk ◮ Tivaria (Gujarat), Upattam
(Tamil Nadu).
Azadirachta indica A. Juss. 75
Action ◮ Stem/bark—astringent.
Pulp of unripe fruit—used for
healing skin lesions of smallpox;
fruits and immature seeds, used as
cicatrizant of abscesses and ulcers.
The bark contains 5% tannin, triacontanol
and triterpenoids. Kernels
contain lapachol, which possesses antitumour
activity. Aerial parts yield
beta-sitosterol, friedelin, lupenone, lupeol,
betulinic and ursolic acids.
Azadirachta indica A. Juss.
Synonym ◮ Melia azadirachta Linn.
Family ◮ Meliaceae.
Habitat ◮ Native to Burma; found all
over India.
English ◮ Neem tree, Margosa tree.
Ayurvedic ◮ Nimba, Nimbaka,
Arishta, Arishtaphala, Pichumarda,
Pichumanda, Pichumandaka,
Tiktaka, Sutiktak, Paaribhadra.
Unani ◮ Aazaad-Darakht-e-Hindi.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Vemmu, Veppu,
Veppan, Arulundi.
Action ◮ Leaf, bark—antimicrobial,
antifungal, anthelmintic, insecticidal,
antiviral, antipyretic, antimalarial,
antiperiodic, mosquito
larvicidal, anti-inflammatory,
antifertility, spermicidal, hypoglycaemic;
used in inflammation of
gums, gingivitis, periodonitis, sores,
boils, enlargement of spleen, malarial
fever, fever during childbirth,
measles, smallpox, head scald and
cutaneous affections. Oil—used
A