Plants are Life

PLANTSDAILY_51

Hibiscus tiliaceus L.

Malvaceae

Cotton Wood Tree_நீர் பருத்தி, ஆற்று பருத்தி

Hibiscus_derived form the Greek language refers to ‘marsh mallow’ ; tiliaceus_means the leaves resembling related species of Tilia

Native range: Tropical & Subtropical Old World.

Ecology: Occurs along the Coastal regions, thickets, stream banks and in the secondary forests.

Phytochemicals: β-sitosterol, coumarin, hibiscusamide, hibiscusin, mithramycin, scopoletin, stigmasterol, syringic acid, & vanillic acid.

Properties: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, antimicrobial, antinociceptive & anti-inflammatory

Traditional Medicine: Used in the treatment of fever, coughs and dry throat, ear infections, chest congestion, diarrhea, dysentery and typhoid in Bangladesh

Ethnobotany: Leaves are mixed with Heritiera littoralis in equal proportions and boiled in water with salt and the filtrate is used as beverage by Onge tribe in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Leaves are used to treat fever, coughs and remove phlegm; fresh buds are chewed and swallowed for dry throat; fresh bark is soaked in water and used for chest congestion by local communities in Malaysia and Indonesia. Young leaves are pounded and apply on a stomach with salts to treat abdominal pain by ethnic people in Batan Island, the Philippines.

Economy: Source of fiber, firewood, and livestock fodder. Cultivated for ornamental purpose. Used as carving materials and musical instruments.

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PLANTSDAILY_50

Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng.

Rutaceae

Murraya_named in honour of Swedish botanist ‘Johan Andreas Murray’ ; koenigii_named after a German botanist ‘Johann Gerhard König’ (Koenig),

Curry Leaf_கறிவேப்பிலை

Native range: Indian Subcontinent to China and Indo-China, Southern Hainan.

Ecology: Occurs in plains, dry deciduous to moist forests at elevations to 1,600 metres. Prefer to grow in full sun or shade with fertile, humus rich, moisture, well drained and light soils. Soil pH ranges from 5.5 to 6.5. Easily spread by root sucker and seed. Potential Invasive species.

Phytochemicals: Apigenin, Blumenol A, Catechin, cinnamaldehyde, girinimbine, Kaempferol, Koenigicine, Koenigine, Koenimbine, Loliolide, Mahanimbicine, Mahanimbine, mahanine, Mukoline, Mukonal, Murrayakonine (A-D), Murrayanol, Myricetin, Osthol, & Pyrayafoline D.

Properties: Analgesic, anti-cancer, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor, cardioprotective, immunomodulatory, nephroprotective, & neuroprotective.

Traditional Medicine: Used to treat piles, inflammation, itching, fresh cuts, dysentery, bruises, andedema. Also, used as antihelminthic, digestive, blood purifier, appetizer, hair tonic and anti-depressant in India. Pride of Indian Ayurvedic medicine known as ‘Krishnanimba’.

Ethnobotany: Leaves are used to cure eye pain and used as eye cooling agent by Kani tribes in Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu. Juice of tender leaves is taken orally to arrest vomiting by local people in Vellore, Tamil Nadu. Tender leaves are boiled with coconut oil and externally applied for scabies by Siddis of Uttara Kannada, Karnataka. Leave are used in the preparation of salad or chutney and the leaf juice is used to treat dysentery by Mishing tribe in Villages of Kaziranga National Park, Assam. Leaves are used for menstrual disorder by Santal community in Dinajpur, Bangladesh.

Economy: Source of flavoring agent in food, medicine, & essential oil. Used in pharmaceuticals, perfumery and soap industry.

Miracle plant often grown as garden plant and the leaflets are snipped for cooking Indian cuisine.

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PLANTSDAILY_49

Cardiospermum halicacabum L.

Sapindaceae

‘Cardio’spermum_refers to heart-shaped pattern on the seed; halicacabum_ means a plant with inflated fruits.

Balloon Vine_முடக்கத்தான் (முடக்கு + அறுத்தான்)

Native range: Tropical & Subtropical regions of the world. Listed as Noxious weed in United States

Ecology: Occurs in dry, marshy places, forest margins, woodland, grassland, riverbanks, floodplains and rocky sites. Thrive in wide range of soils and capable of climbing to 8 m high covering the trees.

Phytochemicals: Phenol, tannins, saponins, flavones, aglycones, triterpenoids, & glycosides

Properties: Analgesic, antianxiety, antifilarial, antihyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antiparasitic, antipyretic, antiulcer activity, nephroprotective &vasodepressant

Traditional Medicine: Used in the treatment of rheumatism, nervous diseases, stiffness of the limbs and snakebite. Tender, young shoots are used as diuretic, stomachic, rubefacient, diaphoretic, emetic, emmenagogue, laxative, refrigerant, & stomachic in India.

Ethnobotany: Plant extract is used to cure paralysis attack and rheumatic pains; boiled juice is used to cure gastric problem by Kani tribes in Agasthiyamalai. Decoction made from the dried powder of whole plant is mixed with hot coconut oil and massaged twice a day for rheumatoid arthritis by Paliyar community in Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu. Roots are used as a laxative and to treat rheumatism, and piles by Sugalis of Erramala, Andhra Pradesh. Leaf juice is applied externally to check blending due to cuts by Bonda tribes in Malkangiri, Orissa.

Culture: One of the Ten Sacred Flowers of Kerala (Dasapushpam)

Economy: Sold as a vegetable in local markets of Southeast Asia.

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PLANTSDAILY_48

Semecarpus anacardium L.f.

Anacardiaceae

Marking nut_சேராங்கொட்டை

‘Seme’carpus_ refers to a sign or mark in the Fruit; anacardium_ means upwardly heart shaped fruit

Native range: Indian Subcontinent to Myanmar.

Ecology: Occurs on the hill slopes of Coromandel Coast of India. Found in Dry Evergreen to Moist Deciduous Forests at elevations to 1000 metres. Tolerate a soil pH range from 4.5 to 6.5.

Phytochemicals: Amentoflavone, anacardic acid, anacardoside, anacarduflavone, bhilawanol-A, bhilawanol-B, diolefin II, galluflavanone, jeediflavanone, mono-olefin I, nallaflavanone, semecarpetin, semecarpuflavanone, semicarpol, & tetrahydroamentoflavone.

Properties: Antiatherogenic, aphrodisiac, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, CNS stimulant, hypoglycemic, anticarcinogenic and hair growth promoter.

Ethnobotany: Fruit is ground with curd and applied over the bald patches of the scalp to regain hair growth by Valaiyans of Karandamalai, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. Seeds are pounded with coconut and the paste is applied over body to cure skin diseases. Seed oil is mixed with the ash of Achyranthes aspera, and the paste applied on corns by Yanadis tribe in Cuddapah, Andhra Pradesh. Fruit juice is externally applied to relive muscle pain and orally taken by mixing with honey to cure asthma by Siddis of Uttara Kannada, Karnataka. Root decoction of the young plant is used to cure impotence by the local people in Chandauli, Uttar Pradesh, India. Reang tribes apply seed decoction on scalp to prevent excessive hair loss and also for rheumatic pain in Tripura.

Economy: Good source of timber, dye, gum, oil, food and medicine. Commercially used as waterproofing in paints. Marking ink is obtained from the seed as industrial value. Seeds have high trade value in India.

Animal Interaction: Flowers are pollinated by Bees, Flies, and Bats.

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PLANTSDAILY_47

Tamarix ericoides Rottler & Willd.

Tamaricaceae

Tamarisk_ஆற்று சவுக்கு

Native range: Indian Subcontinent.

Ecology: Perennial shrub commonly occurs in the sandy river beds. Noticeable in the river beds of Palar (Chengalpattu), Cauvery (Tiruchirappalli) etc. in Tamil Nadu.

Phytochemicals: Alkaloids, glycosides, phytosterols, saponins, & tannins

Properties: Analgesic, antiseptic, febrifuge. Crude extracts inhibited the growth of bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella typhi and the fungus Candida albicans.

Folk Medicine: Roots are used for diabetes, paralysis, anti-dermatosis, cough and enlarged spleen.

Ethnobotany: Stem powder along with honey is taken for stomach disorder. Root decoction is administered during painful urination by ethnic communities in Buldana, Maharashtra. Fruits are eaten at the morning for asthma by local people of Ahmednagar, Maharashtra

Seeds are dispersed by wind called anemochory

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PLANTSDAILY_46

Asparagus racemosus Willd.

Asparagaceae

Asparagus_ refers to ‘sprout’ or ‘shoot’; racemosus_ ‘cluster’ or ‘bunch’

Shatavari_தண்ணீர் விட்டான் கிழங்கு

Native range: Tropical Africa to Northern Australia.

Ecology: Spinous climber with fasciculated tuberous roots. Commonly found at the elevations up to 1,200 metres in the Himalayas. Also, occurs in the Tropical Dry Evergreen to Dry Deciduous Forests in Southern India. Thrive well in rocky soils, laterite soil and shallow soil with pH ranges from 6 to 8.

Phytochemicals:Aspagaramine A, Steroidal saponins, shatavaroside A, shatavaroside B, filiasparoside C, shatavarins, immunoside, schidigerasaponin D, Dodecanoic acid, Octadecanoic acid, & Oleic acid

Properties: aphrodisiac, anti-ageing, hepatoprotective, anti-diabetic, immunomodulatory, demulcent, rheumatism, antioxidant, antitussive, anti-microbial, & galactogougue.

Traditional Medicine: Roots are used as a tonic, and diuretic. Used to treat ulcer, nervous disorder, inflammation, diarrhoea, dysentry, tuberculosis, diabetes, infectious disease, and control the symptoms of AIDS in India.

Economy: Dried roots of the plant are used as drug. One of the highly traded raw drugs in India.

PLANTSDAILY_45

Ocimum kilimandscharicum Gürke

Lamiaceae

Hoary basil_ Camphor basil

Ocimum_refers basil; kilimandscharicum_ means Kilimanjaro hills in Kenya

Native range: Ethiopia to E. Tropical Africa. Distributed in Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda. Cultivated elsewhere

Phytochemicals: Camphene, Limonene, Linalool, β-Terpineol, Myrtenol, 1, 8-cineole, bornyl acetate, germacrene-D, E-myroxide, germacrene-B, caryophyleneoxide andp-cymene, 1,8-cineole, limonene, caryophylene, camphene, 4-terpineol

Properties: antioxidant, insecticidal, mosquito repellent, antimicrobial, wound healing, antimelanoma, radioprotective

Traditional Medicine: Used to treat cough, bronchitis, viral infections, foul ulcers, anorexia, mosquito repellant and for healing wounds in India

Ethnobotany: Used as a remedy for coughs, colds, measles, abdominal pains, diarrhoea, insect repellent, particularly against mosquitoes and storage pest control in East Africa

High religious and cultural importance.

PLANTSDAILY_44

Derris scandens (Roxb.) Benth.

Fabaceae

Jewel Vine_Hog Creeper_ அதிரல் மலர்

Derris_ refers to leathery pods; scandens means trailing or climbing

Native range: Tropical & Subtropical Asia to N. Australia. Distributed in Bangladesh, Borneo, Cambodia, India, Jawa, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Phytochemicals: Betulinic acid, chandalone, derriscanosides A, derriscanosides B, lonchocarpenin, lonchocarpicacid, lupeol, scandenal, scandenin A, scandenin, scanderone, scandinone A, ß -amyrin, & ß-sitosterol.

Properties: Anti-dysentery, anti-HIV, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-tussive, diuretic, expectorant & immunomodulatory.

Traditional Medicine: Dry stem powder is used in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain and arthritis symptoms and recommended by Thailand National List of Essential Medicines (NLEMs)

Ethnobotany: Kurumbar, Sadayar, Ariyan ethnic groups used stem bark and stem to treat cancer, wounds and tumors of throat in Kalrayan and Shervarayan Hills, Tamil Nadu. Stem is used as a stimulant, antispasmodic and counter irritant by traditional healers of Pachamalai Hill, Tamil Nadu. Indigenous community in Veligonda Hills uses this plant for Snake bite, Andhra Pradesh. Local people of Medinipur use raw plant to treat skin disease, West Bengal. Roots are pounded with wooded stick and thrown into the river to poison fishes by Monpa ethnic group in Arunachal Pradesh.

Culture: Kabilar the most prolific Tamil poet of the Sangam period mentioned this plant in Kurincippattu (2nd- to 3rd-century CE)

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PLANTSDAILY_43

Holoptelea integrifolia (Roxb.) Planch.

Ulmaceae

Indian Elm_ ஆய

‘Holo’ptelea_ refers to‘whole’ elm; integrifolia means leaf entire

Native range: Indian Subcontinent to Indo-China and Eastern Borneo. Distributed in Bangladesh, India, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Phytochemicals: Betulin, betulinic acid, epifriedlin, friedelin, hederagenin, hexacosanol, Holoptelin-A, Holoptelin-B, octacosanol, oleanolic acid, stigmasterol, β-amyrin, & β-sitosterol.

Properties: Adaptogenic, analgesic, anthelmintic, anticancer, antidiabetic, antidiarrhoeal, antiemetic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, CNS depressant, hepatoprotective, hypolipidemic, antimicrobial & larvicidal.

Traditional Medicine: Used in the treatment of leprosy, inflammation, rickets, leucoderma, scabies, rheumatism, ringworm, eczema, malaria, intestinal cancer, and chronic wounds in India. Used as an ailment for gastritis, dyspepsia, colic, intestinal worms, wound healing, leprosy, diabetes, hemorrhoids, dysmenorrhoea and rheumatism in Pakistan.

Ethnobotany: Stem bark paste applied externally on fingers for treating whitlow by Malayali tribes, Javvadhu Hills, Tamil Nadu. Leaf and stem bark extracts are orally consumed to treat urinary disease, vomiting, leprosy, diabetes and rheumatism by local communities in Palamalai Hills, Salem, Tamil Nadu. Stem bark juice to 50 ml is drank thrice a day for 10 days to cure Paralysis; boiled leaf juice applied for rheumatic swelling to relive pain by Kolams, Naikpods, Pardhans, Gonds, Thotis, Chenchus, Mathuras ethnic communities in Adilabad, Telangana. Leaf paste is applied over body to cure ringworm by local people in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh.

Economy: Bhils, Parmar, Dabhi, Angari, Kher adivasi communities specifically used the woods for making wheels in Sabarkantha, Gujarat. Source of fuel wood and timber. Commonly cultivated and planted as an avenue tree.

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PLANTSDAILY_42

Abroma augustum (L.) L.f.

Malvaceae

Devil’s cotton_ சிவப்பு துத்தி

‘A’broma_ refers ‘not’ a ‘food’ plant; augustum_means great or magnificent

Native range: Southern China to Tropical Asia. Distributed in India, Bangladesh, Borneo, Jawa, Malaya, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, & Vietnam.

Phytochemicals: Abromasterol, Abromine, Betaine, Choline, Friedelin, Protocatechuric Acid, Sterol, Stigmasterol, Taraxerol, Taraxeryl acetate, Vanillic acid & β-sitosterol.

Properties: Anti-diabetic, analgesic, anti-inflamatory, thrombolytic, antioxidant, & hypolipidemic.

Traditional Medicine: Roots are used to treat emmenogogue, nervous dysmenorrhoea, amenorrhoea, sterility, uterine tonic and menstrual disorder. Leaves are used in the treatment of diabetes, rheumatic pains and headache with sinusitis, India.

Ethnobotany: Leaf juice along with honey is taken orally as an expectorant, inhaled for bleeding nose (sinusitis); the dried plant powder used for bronchitis and cough by ethnic people in Cooch Behar, West Bengal. Stem juice taken for gastric problems and heatstroke in southwest peri-urban region of Kolkata. Stem soaked in water for whole night and then the extract is drunk for constipation by local people in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Economy: Fibre obtained from this plant is widely exploited to make clothes, bags, hunting-nets, for lashing, rope, twine, fishing lines, pouches, potholders, hampers, baskets and trays in South Asian and Southeast Asian countries. Potential substitute for rattans .

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