HEALTH – DYSPEPSIA – RHUBARB – REVAT CHINNI

Family Name: Polygonaceae

Botanical Name(s): Rheum Emodi

Popular Name(s): Rhubarb, Himalayan Rhubarb, Indian Rhubarb, Thuzna, Revat Chinni

Parts Used: Seeds

Habitat: Grown throughout the valleys in Himalayan region at altitude of 3200m -5200m.

Description: Rhubarb is a perennial plant that grows from thick short rhizomes, comprising the genus Rheum. The large, somewhat triangular leaf blades are elevated on long, fleshy petioles. The flowers are small, greenish-white, and borne in large compound leafy inflorescences.

Uses: Used as purgative and astringent tonic. Its stimulating effect combined with aspirin properties renders it especially useful in atonic dyspepsia.

HEALTH – PARALYSIS – MUCUNA PRURIENS – KAWANCH

Family Name: Mucuna Pruriens

Botanical Name(s): Fabaceace

Popular Name(s): Cowitch, Cowhage Plant, kavach, Kapikachhu, Atmagupta

Naikaranam, Kawanch, Kewach

Parts Used: Roots, Seeds and Leaves

Habitat: This herb is an annual climbing shrub found in the tropics of India.

Description: The plant is an annual, climbing shrub with long vines that can reach over 15 m. It bears white, lavender, or purple flowers and pods that are covered in loose orange hairs, which cause a severe itch.

Uses: Root is used as a remedy in facial paralysis and nervous disorders. Decoction of the roots purifies the blood, cures rheumatism, asthma, cough, stone in the bladder and improves vitality. It is also used for fevers, edema, and elephantiasis.

HEALTH – SUGAR DESTROYER – GYMNEMA SYLVESTRE – GUDMAR

Family Name: Asclepiadaceae

Botanical Name(s): Gymnema Sylvestre

Popular Name(s): Periploca of the woods, Gudmar

Parts Used: Whole Plant and Leaves

Habitat: Grows in tropical forests of the central and southern parts of India

Description: Gymnema Sylvestre is a woody, vine-like plant, which climbs on bushes and trees. The medicinally active parts of the plant are the leaves and the roots. It came to be known as “destroyer of sugar” in ancient times.

Uses: It is useful in hepatosplenomegaly, dypepsia, constipation, jaundice, halminthiasis, cardiopathy, amenorrhoea. The fresh leaves when chewed have the remarkable property of paralyzing the sense of taste for sweet and bitter substance for some time.

HEALTH – LAXATIVE – CASSIA FISTULA – AMALTAS

Family Name: Caesulpinaceae

Botanical Name(s): Cassia Fistula

Popular Name(s): Fistula, Laburnum, Purging Fistula, Golden Shower, Amaltas

Parts Used: Fruits And Bark

Habitat: Grows in valleys up to 1200 m in Himalayas.

Description: A tropical ornamental tree with a trunk consisting of hard reddish wood, growing up to 40 feet tall. The wood is hard and heavy. It has showy racemes, up to 2″ long, with bright, yellow, fragrant flowers. These flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies.

Uses: Pulp from fruits called “Cessia Pulp” is a well-known Laxative. Bark of tree is rich in tannins.

HEALTH – IMPROVE MEMORY – EPILEPSY – BACOPA MONNEIRA – BRAHMI

Family Name: Scrophulariaceae

Botanical Name(s): Bacopa Monniera

Popular Name(s): Herpestis Monnieria, Thyme leaved Gratiola, Brahmi

Parts Used: Whole Plant

Habitat: Grows in Marshy places and cultivated in South India.

Description: Bacopa Monniera is a perennial, creeping herb, also known as “Brahmi”. The leaves of this plant are succulent and relatively thick. Leaves are oblanceolate and are arranged oppositely on the stem. The flowers are small and white, with four or five petals. Its ability to grow in water makes it a popular aquarium plant. It can even grow in slightly brackish conditions.

Uses: It is Diuretic, Cardiac, Nervine and Tonic. It is reported to improve intellect, treatment of asthma, hoarseness, insanity and epilepsy. It is a potent nervous tonic and is anti anxiety agent. It is considered good for heart.

HEALTH – SKIN CARE – AZADIRACHTA INDICA – NEEM CHHAL

Family Name: Meliaceae

Botanical Name(s): Azadirachta Indica

Popular Name(s): Lilac, Margosa tree, Neem, Neem chal

Parts Used: Leaves, Flower, Oil, Seed

Habitat: Grows throughout India.

Description: This tree is found in the Western Himalayas of India and in Iran. It is cultivated in other parts of India and the tropical regions of the world such as Indonesia, Australia, and West Africa. It is considered to be a very valuable herb in Ayurvedic medicine and is used for a variety of folk applications.

Uses: This herb is used in inflammatory and febrile diseases. It is also used for worm infestation. It is used for a variety of conditions in Ayurvedic Medicine, singly and in combination. Root bark possesses astringent, tonic and antiperiodic properties. It is also useful in Malarial fever. The oil is used in making Neem based soaps, shampoos and toothpaste.

HEALTH – LOOSE MOTION – OPIUM – PAPVERSOMNIFERUM

Family Name: Papaveraceae

Botanical Name(s): Papaver Somniferum

Popular Name(s): Poppy Seeds, Aphium Opium Poppy, White Poppy, Posta

Parts Used: Seeds, Flowers

Habitat: Cultivated on large scale at altitude of 1500m – 2100m.

Description: The opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), an annual herb 3-5 feet tall with gorgeous white to pink or purple flowers, has had a powerful impact on human affairs as a medical blessing and a societal curse.

Uses: Seeds are used as Tonic. Milky juice from immature fruits yields opium. Ripe and dry fruits contain only small quantity of alkaloids.

HEALTH – HERPES – ECZEMA – AKHROT – JUGLANS RESIA

Family Name: Juglanduceae

Botanical Name(s): Juglans Regia

Popular Name(s): Walnut, Persian Walnut, European Walnut, Akhrot

Parts Used: Leaves, Barks, Fruits

Habitat: Cultivated in Himalayas and the Khasi hills

Description: It is a large deciduous tree attaining heights of 25-35 m, commonly with a short trunk and broad crown, though taller and narrower in dense forest competition. It is a light-demanding species, requiring full sun to grow well.

Uses: They are useful in herpes, eczema, scrofula and syphilis. Fruits are sweet and emollient, thermogenic and aphrodisiac.

HEALTH – NERVOUS DISORDERS – SATAVARI

Family Name: Liliaceae

Botanical Name(s): Asparagus racemosus, Asparagus sarmentosus, Asparagus gonoclados, Asparagus adscendens

Popular Name(s): Asparagus, Wild asparagus, Asparagus root, Satavari.

Parts Used: Tuberous Roots

Habitat: This is found in the jungles around 8,000 feet altitude throughout India, especially Northern India.

Description: A much-branched, spinous under-shrub, with tuberous, short rootstock bearing numerous fusiform, succulent, tuberous roots. The plant contains triterpene saponins – Shatavarin I – IV, which are phytoestrogen compounds.

Uses: The roots are emollient, cooling, nervine, tonic, constipating. They are useful in nervous disorders, dyspepsia, and tumors, scalding of urine, throat infections, tuberculosis, cough, bronchitis and general debility.

HEALTH – COUGH – ADUSA – ADHATODA VASICA

Family Name: Acanthaceae

Botanical Name(s): Adhatoda Vasica

Popular Name(s): Malabar Nut, Adulsa

Parts Used: Leaves, Roots, Flowers and Stem Bark.

Habitat: The plant grows in plains & in lower Himalayan ranges upto 1000 m above sea level.

Description:

It is a small evergreen, subherbacious bush. The Leaves are 10 to 16 cms in length, minutely pubescent and broadly lanceolate. The inflorescence is dense, short pedunculate, bractate and spike terminal. The corolla is large and white with lower lip streaked purple. The fruit is a 4-seeded small capsule.

Uses: The leaves are rich in vitamin C and carotene and yield an essential oil. The shrub is the source of the drug, well known in indigenous systems of medicine for its beneficial effects, particularly in bronchitis. The leaves, flowers, fruits and roots are extensively used for treating cold, cough, whooping-cough, chronic bronchitis and asthma.