MEDICINAL PLANTS OF SIKKIM

 

 

Basic Information

 

                 

Species                                  : Osbeckia crinita Benth

Local Name                            :

Synonym                                :

Family                                     : Melastomaceae

Habitat                                   : Shrub of 1.2- 2.4 m. Found in open hillside, rock crevices.

Distribution                            : Distributed to Temperate region, 1520-2290 m.

Sikkim                         : Ravong, Lingthem, Lingdem, Rongli, Subaney Dara, Upper Gangtok, Keetam,Takchi, Kabhi, Singhik-tung, below Karponang,

                                     Maenam Wild Life Sanctuary.

Outside                      : West Bengal, Bhutan (Punakha, Tongsa and Mongar districts, Upper Mo Chu district), Khasia, Burma. Himalayas

                                   (Punjab- Arunachal Pradesh).

General                      : Himalaya (Punjab- Arunachal Pradesh).

Morphological information

Shrub 1.2- 2.4 m much- branched; branches with spreading hairs. Leaves 5-10 cm, lanceolate or elliptic- lanceolate, bristly on both surfaces, narrowed or subcordate at base; petiole 3-10 mm. Flowers large, 4-fid and not infrequently 5-fid, purple or pure white, in somewhat close corymbs. Calyx tube with many stellate rufous brown hairs, teeth stellate hairy; bracts ovate, acute, usually very hairy on the back. Bristles on the apex of the ovary about 20. Fruit 2 cm including the neck, ovoid, suddenly narrowed into the cylindrical neck, often nearly glabrous, neck equaling or exceeding the fruiting ovary much longer than its own breadth.

Flowering                : August-October.

Fruiting                   : November-January.

History                   :

Parts                      : Root, leaf.

Status                    : Low risk.

 

Medicinal

Decoction of root is used as a stomachic that of dry leaves for toothache.

Traditional

The decoction of the steamed root with water is orally administered during stomachache and toothache ( Nepali System, Project Report 1999).

 


Reference

1. Anonymous (1992). The useful Plants of India (Project report 1999. Publication and Information Directorate, CSIR, New Delhi. 415.

2. Bhujel, R.B. (1996). Studies on the Dicotyledonous Flora of Dadeeling District. Unpublished Ph.D Thesis University of North Bengal. 340.

3. Grierson, A.3.C. & D.G. Long (1991). Flora of Bhutan (Vol. 2, part 1). 294.

4. Kirtikar, K.R.; B.D. Basu (1993). Indian Medicinal Plants. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh (Vol.  5) Dehradun. 1490.

5. Progress Report of the Project "Studies on Medicinal Plants of Sikkim" (1998-2001). State Council of Science and Technology for Sikkim.