Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Alcea rosea Linn.


English Name : Hollyhock

Family : Malvaceae

Origin : Asia Minor

Description
An erect, simple or sparigly branched, stellately hairy, annual or biennial herb. Lower leaves long-petioled, sub-orbicular-rounded or ovate, angular-lobed; upper ones short-petioled, smaller; flowers white, red, pink or yellow, 5-12 cm in diam, solitary, axillary, corolla often doubled; capsules densely stellate-hairy, 1.5-2.0 cm in diam; mericarps orbicular, 5-7 mm long.

Habitat
In wasteplaces and road sides.

Parts Used : Flowers (dark-colored ones for medicinal purposes), root and plant

Herb Effects
Astringent and demulcent (root); expectorant; cooling, emollient and diuretic (flowers); mucilaginous, demulcent, diuretic and febrifugal (seeds).

Active Ingredients
Kaempferol, quercetin and its glucosides, anthocyanic pigments, mucilage, flavonoids and tannins (flower).

Medicinal Use
Healing mucous membranes in upper respiratory tract disorders; fever, dysentry and gravel (roots); in rheumatism (flowers).

Dosage
Infusion:1 tbsp of the crushed drug (flowers)/cup or glass of lukewarm water. which is allowed to soak for up to 3 hours; this is consumed up to 5 times per day.

Reference

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