MEDICINAL PLANTS OF SIKKIM

 

 

Basic Information

 

                 

                    Species                       : Phytolacca acinosa Roxb

                    Local Name                 : Jaringo (Nep), Kantong (Lep)

                     Synonym                    :

                     Family                         : Phytolaccacea

                     Habitat                       : A succulent, robust, perennial herb cultivated as garden

                                                          plant.

Distribution                : Distributed in temperate region.

Sikkim                         : Bhakim, Naya Bazar, on the way to Pentong, Pakyong, Lal Market and cultivated all over Sikkim in temperate belt.

Outside                       : West Bengal, Kashmir, Punjab, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Bhutan.

General                       : Himalaya (Kashmir- Bhutan), Assam, West China.

Morphological information

Herbaceous, quite glabrous or puberculous, stems 0.9-1.5 m stout, succulent. Leaves 15-25 by 6.3-10 cm, green, thinly succulent, elliptic ovate or lanceolate- acuminate, narrowed into a stout petiole. Racemes shortly peduncled, 5.15 cm long, erect, many-flowered, rchachis stout; bracts linearlanceolate, membranous; pedicels 6mm. Flowers 8 mm diameter. Sepals broadly oblong, obtuse. Ripe carpels about 10, nearly free, blue black.

Flowering                     : May-July

Fruiting                         : June-July

History                          :

Parts                            : Root and leaves.

Status                          : Cultivated, endangered in wild.

Phytochemistry           :  Spergualgenic acid, jailigonic add and β-sitosterol isolated from fruits; myristic acid, n-pentacosane, lingnoceryl palmitate, 16-hentriacontanol, urosilic acid and its galactoside isolated from fruits.

 

Unani                           

The oil from the root is used for pain in joints. It is one of the constituents of antiprotozoal drug. Plants have narcotic effect. For this reason, this particular herb has been found mixed in Belladonna consignments exported from India.

 

Traditional

 Fresh leaves are boiled and consumed during body ache and wasting condition.

 


Reference

1. Anonymous. (1994). The Wealth of India (Vol. 8) Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 38.

2. Bhujel, R.B. (1996). Studies on the Dicotyledonous Flora of Darjeeling District. Unpublished Ph.D Thesis University of North Bengal. 577.

3. Chattedee, Asima; Satish Chandra Pakrashi (1997). The Treatise on Indian Medicinal Plants (Vol. 5) National Institute of Science Communication, New Delhi. 88- 89.

4. Kirtikar, K.R.; B.D. Basu (1980). Indian Medicinal Plants (Vol. 3) Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh. Dehradun. 1766-1767.

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