Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

236 Eleusine indica Gaertin.
E
Eleusine indica Gaertin.
Family ◮ Gramineae, Poaceae.
Habitat ◮ Australia, North America;
throughout the warmer parts of the
world. In India, in wet plains and
low hills and pasture grounds.
English ◮ Crowfoot Grass, Crab
Grass.
Ayurvedic ◮ Nandimukha (var.).
Folk ◮ Nandiaa (Orissa), Mahaar
Naachni (Maharashtra), Thippa
Ragi (Tamil Nadu).
Action ◮ Used for biliary disorders.
In Vietnamese traditional medicine,
a decoction of the whole plant
is used as stomachic, diuretic,
febrifuge, and in sprains.
Aerial parts contain vitexin, 3-Obeta-D-glucopyranosyl-beta-sitosterol
and its 6 ′ -O-palmitoyl derivatives.
Elsholtzia cristata Willd.
Synonym ◮ E. ciliata (Thunb.)
Hyland.
Perilla polystachya D. Don.
Family ◮ Labiatae; Lamiaceae.
Habitat ◮ The Himalayas and Assam
up to 3,000 m, introduced into the
Nilgiris (Tamil Nadu).
Ayurvedic ◮ Ajagandhaa (controversial
synonym).
Folk ◮ Ban-Tulasi, Bovai, Phoot-
Kanda.
Action ◮ Carminative, stomachic,
astringent. Leaf—diuretic, antipyretic.
Neutralizes after effects
of intoxication. Used for abdominal
pains, nausea, bleeding nose.
Fresh plants from Uttaranchal
gave 0.4% essential oil having
dehydroelsholtzia ketone 88.7% as
the main constituent, followed by
humulene 2.4% and caryophyllene
0.9% (the oil composition of the
species which grow in Japan and
Kashmir is different.)
Plant contains linarin, apigenin and
7-O-glucosides of apigenin and luteolin.
The Japanese species, used for hangovers,
gave compounds including triterpenoids,
steroids and flavonoids.
Elsholtzia blenda Benth., synonym
Perilla elata D. Don, is also equated
with Ban-Tulasi. Major constituent
of the essential oil is geranyl acetate.
Other constituents are p-cymene, sabinene,
borneol, geraniol, linalyl acetate,
fernesol, limonene, linalool, citronellol,
thymol and nerolidol.
Elytraria crenata Vahl.
Synonym ◮ E. acaulis Lindau.
Tubiflora acaulis Kuntze.
Family ◮ Acanthaceae.
Habitat ◮ The Deccan Peninsula,
extending northwards to eastern
Himalayas.
Folk ◮ Patharchattaa, Dasmori. (Also
known as Shat-muuli.)
Action ◮ Leaves—decoction prescribed
in fever, also in venereal
diseases. Root—used in mammary
tumours and abscesseses, pneumonia
and infantile diarrhoea. Plant