Morphological information

The plant is a large decidous tree with ash grey bark, having patches of blue colour. Leaves broadly elliptical or elliptic obovate, 7.5 to 20 cm long, 5-15 cm broad crowded towards the end of branches. Flowers pale greenish yellow about 1.25 cm across having an offensive odour. Fruit is a drupe, grey to light brown, 2.5 cm long.

Flowering                      : April-May

Fruiting                         : November -February

History                         :

Parts                            : Bark and fruit.

Status                         : Endangered in wild.

Phytochemistry

A new triterpene-belleric acid along with its glucoside-bellericoside-isolated and their structure established; arjungenin and its glucoside also isolated (Phytochemistry 1989, 28, 2769); isolation and crystal structure determination of tomentosic acid, obtained by acid hydrolysis of arjunglucoside I (J. Chem. Soc. Perkin 2 1990, 1445); isolation and structure elucidation of hexahydroxydiphenicyl heptahydroxydiphenicylate (I) from fruits (Indian J. Nat. Prod. 1991, 7(1), 16; chem. Abstr. 1992, 116,191048 t); dotriacontan-2-ol, tritriacontan-9-one, n-tritriacontane and tetratriacontane isolated from fruits (Orient J. Chem. 1992, 8, 255; Chem. Abstr. 1994, 120, 129518 a); two new pentacyclic triterpene acids-bellericagenins A and B- and their glycosides-bellericasides A and B- isolated from stem bark and their structure established (Tetrahedron 1992, 48, 2483).

 

Ayurvedic                 : With Terminalia chebula and Phyllanthus embelica it is largely employed in the the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

 

Traditional

 The fruits are eaten during the acute diarrhoea, dysentry and dropsy. (Yonzon et al 1985, Nepali System) The ripe fruits are chewed directly in case of tonsillitis and cough. (Yonzon et al 1985, Lepcha System).

Other

Terminalia belerica is astringent. An infusion of it (about 5%) made with cold water with the addition of Terminalia chebula and Phyllanthus emblica is used as a collyrium in acute conjunctivitis. A decoction of it is employed as lotion in chronic ulcers as an injection in chronic dysentery and bleeding haemorrhoids. The kernel of this fruit is edible and is said to have a narcotic and aphrodisiac effect.

The bark may be used as an astringent for dressing wounds and sore throat.