Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

is equated with Orris Root and
Hemapushpa with Sarca asoca
flower.)
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Keerippaalai.
Folk ◮ Dodishaak (Gujarat).
Action ◮ Plant—stimulant and
restorative. Improves eyesight.
Found useful in the treatment of
habitual abortion. Leaves and roots
used in skin diseases.
The herb contains n-triacontane,
cetyl alcohol, beta-sitosterol, betaamyrin
acetate, lupanol 3-O-diglucoside
and lepitidin glycoside.
Stigmasterol and lipoid fraction of
the plant exhibited estrogen mimetic
effects.
Alcoholic extract of roots and leaves
show antibacterial activity against
Gram-positive and Gram-negative
bacteria.
Intravenous administration of aqueous
extract of stems has a pronounced
and hypotensive action in anaesthetized
dogs.
Dosage ◮ Root—3–6 g powder.
(CCRAS.)
Leptadenia spartium Wight.
Synonym ◮ L. pyrotechnica (Forsk.)
Decne.
Family ◮ Asclepiadaeae.
Habitat ◮ Punjab, Western Uttar
Pradesh, Rajasthan and northern
parts of Mumbai along the sea coast.
Folk ◮ Kheemp (Rajasthan), Kheep
(Gujarat). Prasaarani is a doubtful
synonym.
Leucaena glauca Benth. 371
Action ◮ Antiseptic. Plant used for
the treatment of burns and wounds.
The plant contains a triterpenoid,
leptadenol; also 2.32 g/100 g tannin.
Lettsomia elliptica Wight.
Synonym ◮ Argyreia elliptica (Wight)
Choisy.
Family ◮ Convolvulaceae.
Habitat ◮ Chota Nagpur, Orissa,
Deccan, Karnataka, Anaimalai Hills
and Western Ghats from Konkan
southwards to Kerala.
English ◮ Silverweed.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Unnayangodi.
Folk ◮ Khedari, Bond vel (Maharashtra).
Action ◮ Leaves—a paste is applied
externally in cough and quinsy.
Leucaena glauca Benth.
Synonym ◮ L. leucocephala (Lam.)
de Wit.
Family ◮ Mimosaceae.
Habitat ◮ The plains of India.
English ◮ White Popinac, Lead tree.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Tagarai.
Folk ◮ Vilaayati Baval Lasobaval
(Gujarat).
Action ◮ The bark and leaves contain
16.3 and 3% tannin respectively.
Leaves also contain quercitrin
(0.08%). The toxicity of the plant
is due to an alkaloid leucenine or
L