Thursday, March 26, 2009

Premna integrifolia L.


Family : Verbenaceae

Description
A shrub or small tree up to 10 m tall, bole up to 30 cm in diameter, much-branched and sometimes spiny, bark fissured-flaky, brownish-grey. Leaves broadly ovate, obovate to suborbicular, sometimes oblong, (2-)8-15(-21) cm x (1-)5-10(-16) cm, mostly entire, sometimes serrate, crenate or dentate, glabrous, petiolate. Flowers with pedicel 0.5-1 mm long, corolla greenish-white. Fruit obovoid-globose, 3-6 mm long, green turning black.

Habitat
Grows in brushwood and hedges, often near the sea.

Parts Used : Root and leaves.

Herb Effects
The leaves are carminative and said to have a galactagogue property.

Active Ingredients
Betulin

Medicinal Use
The decoction of the root is said to be a cordial, stomachic and useful in liver disorders. It forms an ingredient of Dasamoola. A decoction of the leaves is used in the treatment of colic and flatulence while that of the tender plants is used for rheumatism and neuralgia. The leaves are rubbed along with pepper and administered in cold and fever, also in gonorrhoea and during convalescence from fevers.

Reference

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