Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

Habitat ◮ Native to South Europe,
grownasanornamental.
English ◮ Wall-flower, Gilli Flower.
Unani ◮ Tudri (Surkh, Safed, Zard)
Action ◮ Flowers—cardioactive,
tonic, antispasmodic, purgative,
emmenagogue, deobstruent (used
in liver diseases and sexual debility).
Seeds— stomachic, diuretic,
expectorant (in bronchitis and
asthma); also goitrogenic. Juice of
leaves and seeds—antibacterial.
Flowers contain flavonoids (quercetin
and rhamnetin derivatives); seeds
contain high levels of cardiac aglycones
(30 cardiac glycosides have been isolated);
oil contains cherinine, a glucoside
of the digitalis group.
In Unani medicine, the drug is used
as a tonic to the male reproductive system,
but recent findings do not validate
its therapeutic use. The flavonoid,
kaempferol, isolated from the young
plant, inhibits spermatogenesis and alters
leydig cell number and diameter,
affecting the fertility.
Chenopodium album Linn.
Family ◮ Chenopodiaceae.
Habitat ◮ A common herb. Its
leaves and tender twigs are used as
vegetable and fodder.
English ◮ Fat Hen, Lamb’s Quarter,
White Goosefoot, Wild Spinach,
Pigweed.
Ayurvedic ◮ Vaastuuka.
Unani ◮ Bathuaa, Baathu.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Paruppukeerai.
Chenopodium ambrosioides Linn. 141
Folk ◮ Bathuaa, Chilli, Chilli-shaak.
Action ◮ Laxative, anthelmintic
against round-and hookworms,
blood-purifier, antiscorbutic.
An infusion is used for hepatic
disorders, spleen enlargement,
biliousness, intestinal ulcers. Used
for treating burns.
The leaves yield ascaridole, used for
treating round-and hookworms. The
oil also contain traces of ascaridole.
Plant contains 8% saponins. Cryptomeridiol,
isolated from the seeds,
showed significant growth promoting
activity.
Chenopodium ambrosioides
Linn.
Family ◮ Chenopodiaceae.
Habitat ◮ Native to West Indies and
South America. Now distributed
in South India, Bengal, Kashmir
and Maharashtra in wet places with
cultivated lands.
English ◮ Indian Wormseed, Sweet
Pigweed, Mexican Tea.
Ayurvedic ◮ Sugandh-vaastuuka,
Kshetra-vaastuuka.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Kattasambadam.
Folk ◮ Khatuaa.
Action ◮ Antispasmodic, pectoral,
haemostatic, emmenagogue.
Employed in treating nervous
affections, particularly chorea.
Dried herb—anthelmintic against
round and hookworms.
C