Monday, March 2, 2009

Shorea robusta GAERTN. F.


English Name : Sal Tree

Family : Dipterocarpaceae

Description
It is a large deciduous but seldom quite leafless tree with thick, dark-gray and rough bark. Leaves are ovate-oblong, acuminate, tough, thinly coriaceous, glabrous and shining. The flowers are yellowish, shortly stalked and unilateral on the racemose branches of axillary panicles. Calyx-segments are ovate and all accrescent in fruits. Petals are pale-yellow and much exceeding the calyx-segments. The fruits are 1.2 cm long, ovoid, acute, rather flesh, indehiscent, white pubescent, winged and brown when dry.

Parts Used : Resin, aerial part, heartwood and essential oil

Herb Effects
Aphrodisiac and astringent (resin); antiviral (aerial part).

Active Ingredients
P-cymene, cadalene, tetrahydro-gamma-cadinene and oxygenated derivatives of benzene (essential oil); leucoanthocyanidin, a polyphenol and “a cholcone glycosides” (heartwood); triterpenoids (resin).

Medicinal Use
The resin obtained from the plant is considered as astringent and detergent and is used in dysentery and for fumigating the rooms of sicks. Its resin with honey or sugar is given in dysentery and bleeding piles. This is also given in gonorrhoea and for weak digestion. Its bark decoction is used as drops in ear problems. Besides, its fruits are also used in diarrhoea.

Reference

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