Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

A
2 Abies webbiana Lindl.
leaves, showed mild activity against
Gram-positive bacteria but exhibited
potent antibacterial activity against
Gram-negative bacteria E. coli.
Abies webbiana Lindl.
Synonym ◮ A. spectabilis (D. Don)
Spach.
Pinus webbiana Wall.
Family ◮ Pinaceae.
Habitat ◮ The Himalayas from
Kashmir to Assam at altitudes of
1,600–4,000 m.
English ◮ Indian Silver Fir, The
West-Himalayan High-Level Fir,
The East-Himalayan Fir.
Ayurvedic ◮ Taalisa, Taalisapatra,
Taalisha, Patraadhya, Dhaatriparni,
Dhaatripatra.
Unani ◮ Taalisapattar.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Taalispatri.
Folk ◮ Badar, Chilrow, Morinda,
Raisalla, Taalispatra. (Tallispatra,
Taalispatri and Talespattre are
also equated with the leaves of
Cinnamomum tamala Nees.)
Action ◮ Expectorant, bronchial sedative,
decongestant, anticatarrhal,
antiseptic, carminative.
Key application ◮ Fir (Abies alba
Miller) needle oil—in catarrhal illness
of upper and lower respiratory
tract (internally and externally);
externally in rheumatic and neuralgic
pains. Contraindicated in
bronchial asthma and whooping
cough. (German Commission E.)
A biflavonoid, abiesin, n-triacontanol,
beta-sitosterol and betuloside are
present in the leaves.
The essential oil from leaves contains
alpha-pinene, l-limonene, deltacarene,
dipentene, l-bornyl acetate and
l-cardinene as major constituents.
Dosage ◮ Needles—2–6 g powder.
(API Vol. IV.)
Abroma augusta Jacq.
Synonym ◮ Ambroma augusta
Linn. f.
Family ◮ Sterculiaceae.
Habitat ◮ Throughout the hotter and
moister parts of India, from Punjab
and Uttar Pradesh, eastwards
to Arunachal Pradesh, Assam,
Meghalaya and Tripura, ascending
to 1,200 m, southwards in Peninsular
India.
English ◮ Perennial Indian Hemp,
Devil’s Cotton.
Ayurvedic ◮ Pishaacha Kaarpaasa,
Pivari.
Unani ◮ Ulat-kambal.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Sivapputtuti.
Folk ◮ Kumal, Sanukapaasi.
Action ◮ Rootbark—emmenagogue
(used for dysmenorrhoea,
amenorrhoea), abortifacient, galactotrophic.
The root contains abromine (betaine),
friedelin, abromasterol, abromasterol
A, choline, beta-sitosterol,
stigmasterol and octacosanol. Leaves,
reported to be useful in treating uterine