Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

252 Euphorbia hypericifolia auct. non Linn.
E
Euphorbia hypericifolia
auct. non Linn.
Synonym ◮ E. indica Lam.
Family ◮ Euphorbiaceae.
Habitat ◮ Throughout warmer
regions of India, up to 1,500 m in
the Himalaya.
Ayurvedic ◮ Dugdhikaa.
Action ◮ Plant—used in colic,
diarrhoea and dysentery. Leaf—
astringent, antidysenteric, antileucorrhoeic
(also used in menorrhagia).
The plant contains taraxerol, octacosanol,
campesterol, stigmasterol,
beta-sitosterol, quercetin, quercitrin,
ellagic acid, rhamnetin-3-galactoside,
rhmnetin-3-rhamnoside and kaempferol.
Euphorbia neriifolia auct. non
Linn.
Synonym ◮ E. ligularia Roxb.
Family ◮ Euphorbiaceae.
Habitat ◮ Grown as a field and
boundary fence and as curious on
rockeries in gardens.
English ◮ Holy Milk Hedge, Dog’s
Tongue.
Ayurvedic ◮ Snuhi, Samant-dugdhaa,
Sehunda, Singhtunda, Snuk, Gudaa,
Sudhaa, Vajra, Vajjri, Vajjradram,
Thuuhar.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Ielaikkali, Perumbukalli.
Action ◮ Latex—purgative, diuretic,
antiasthmatic, expectorant, rubefacient.
Used in ascites, polyuria,
anasarca, chlorosis, tympanitis;
externally on warts, cutaneous
eruptions, scabies, unhealthy ulcers.
Asuccus compounded of equal parts
of the juice and simple syrup is said to
be used for giving relief in asthma.
The triterpenoids, euphol, 24-methylenecycloartenol,
euphorbol hexacosonate,
glut-5 (10)-en-1-one, glut-5en-3
beta-yet-acetate, taraxerol, friedelan-3alpha-oland–3beta-olhavebeen
reported from the plant.
Euphorbia nivulia Buch.-Ham.
Family ◮ Euphorbiaceae.
Habitat ◮ Northern and central
India, often planted in dry areas.
Ayurvedic ◮ Snuhi (substitute),
Patra-Snuhi.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Kalli, Naga-kalli.
Action ◮ Latex—used for treating
jaundice, dropsy, enlargement of
liver and spleen; colic; syphilis,
leprosy; applied to haemorrhoids.
Coagulated latex is used for
bronchitis. Leaf—juice is used as
a purgative. Warmed in mustard
oil, applied in cold and headache.
The latex gave cycloart-25-en-3
beta-ol, and cyclolaudenol; stem contained
cyclolaudenol and sitosterol;
leaves gave sitosterol. (None of these
triterpenes have been reported from E.
neriifolia.) These triterpenes exhibited
antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus
aureus and E. coli.