Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

English ◮ Storax, Oriental Sweet
Gum.
Ayurvedic ◮ Turushka, Silhaka,
Kapitaila.
Unani ◮ Ambar Saayil, Silaaras.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Neri-arishippal.
Action ◮ Balsam—anti-inflammatory,
stimulating expectorant, antiparasitic,
antiseptic, antimicrobial. Used
externally in scabies, ringworm and
other skin diseases. Used for coughs
and bronchitis as an inhalation.
Storax contained cinnamic acid up
to 30%—cinnamin acid esters, cinnamyl
cinnamate (styracin), phenylpropyl
cinnamate; triterpene acids;
vanillin; styrene; aromatic alcohols.
Pentacyclic triterpene aldehydes—liquidambronal
and ambronal—have
been isolated from nonvolatile part
of resin along with bornyl trans-cinnamate.
Dosage ◮ Gum—1–3 g. (CCRAS.)
Liriodendron tulipifera Linn.
Family ◮ Magnoliaceae.
Habitat ◮ Native to North America;
introduced into hill stations in
India.
English ◮ Tulip tree.
Action ◮ Bark—antipyretic, diaphoretic;
used in rheumatism,
dyspepsia and as antimalarial.
The root contains an alkaloid tulipiferin,
traces of a glycoside, essential oil
and tannin.
Lithospermum officinanle Linn. 379
Litchi chinensis (Gaertn.) Sonn.
Synonym ◮ Nephelium litchi
Cambess.
Family ◮ Sapindaceae.
Habitat ◮ Native to China; now
cultivated mainly in Northern
Bihar, particularly in Muzaffarpur
and Darbhanga districts, and
Saharanpur, Dehra Dun, Muzaffarnagar,
Gorakhpur, Deoria, Gonda,
Basti, Faizabad, Rampur, Bareilly,
Bahraich, Kheri and Pilibhit
districts of Uttar Pradesh.
English ◮ Litchi, Lychee.
Action ◮ Fruit—refrigerant during
summer. Leaf—used in bites of
animals.
Litchi aril contains: total sugars (as
invert sugar) 12.1–14.8; reducing sugar
9–13.7; non-reducing sugar 1.0–3.4;
acidity (as citric acid) 0.22–0.36%; and
ascorbic acid 34.5–45.4 mg/100 g.
The plant contains levulinic, malic,
citric, lactic, malonic, fumaric, succinic,
phosphoric and glutaric acids.
The Bark contains friedelin and stigmasterol.
Litchi seeds are prescribed in Malaya
for neurological disorders and orchitis.
In seed lipids, fatty acids cyclopropanoic
42.0; oleic 27.0, palmitic 12.0
and linoleic 11.0%, have been determined.
Lithospermum officinanle Linn.
Family ◮ Boraginaceae.
Habitat ◮ Kashmir and Kumaon, at
altitudes of 1,500–2,700 m.
English ◮ Corn Gromwell.
L