Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Flacourtia indica (BURM.F.)


English Name : Governor’s Palm

Family : Flacourtiaceae

Origin : Tropical and subtropical Africa and Asia

Description
A deciduous shrub up to 10 m tall. Leaves alternate, red-pink when young, variable in size, 3 to 12 cm long and 2.5 to 5.0 cm wide, apex obtusely acuminate, base cuneate to round, margins coarsely crenate or serrate, glabrous; petioles 0.3 to 2 cm. Flowers greenish-yellow, unsexual; short tomentose racemes; sepals 4 to 5, 2 mm long, ovate or orbicular, hispid and ciliate; petals absent. Fruit globose dark-red or black, fleshy berry, persistent style. Seeds pale brown, rugose testa.

Parts Used : Seed, gum, fruit, bark, plant and its aerial part.

Herb Effects
Antirheumatic (seed); diuretic, alleviates spasms, hypothermic, antistrychnine and stimulates the central nervous and cardiovascular systems (aerial part); anthelminthic (fruit).

Active Ingredients
A cyanogenetic glycoside and an emulsion-like enzyme (plant).

Medicinal Use
In cholera (gum); enlargement of the spleen and in jaundice and against roundworms (fruit). Used to treat biliousness, rheumatism, gout, skin diseases, urinary disorders and mental disorders (bark).

Reference

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