Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Euphorbia tirucalli L.


English Name : Milk Bush

Family : Euphorbiaceae

Origin : Africa

Description
Erect tree, 3 to 6 m high, branches thin, cylindrical, spreading, scattered, clustered, whorled, latex extraordinarily abundant, sticky and acrid; leaves alternate, linear, caducous, petioles modified to phylloclade; involucres clustered in the forks of branches, inconspicuous, flowers shortly pedicelled, bracteoles numerous; cocci dark brown, velvety, compressed; seeds ovoid, smooth.

Parts Used : Stem, plant and its aerial part

Herb Effects
Its stem-extract has antifungal properties and the aerial parts are antiprotozoal. Emetic, laxative, rubefacient, anticancer and astringent (plant); stimulates the central nervous system. hypothermic and antiprotozoal (aerial part).

Active Ingredients
Beta-sitosterol, ellagic acid, hentriacontanol, hentriacontane (stem); citric acid, mallic acid, methyl-ellagic acid, sitosterol, triucallol, taraxerone (plant).

Medicinal Use
In cancer (plant). The local medicinal practices employ its parts for dealing with body pain, eczema, scabies, rheumatism, earache, oedema, deranged phlegm, epistaxis, deranged bile, constipation and dyscrasia.

Dosage
Doses of a drachm, mixed with flour, daily as an antisyphilitic.

Reference

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