Morphological information

A tall perennial rigid herb 1.2-2.4 m glabrens. Leaves enstipulate, pinnately decompound; petiole sheaths auricled. Leaflets 4-6 mm, rarely 25mm, orbicular. Panicles much branched bracts small. Flowers polygamous, white pale green, dingy purple. Sepals 4-5. Petals 0. Stamens many filaments filiform anther beaked. Ovule 1, pendulous. Achenes usually 2-5, small, oblong, acute at the both ends, sharply ribbed.

Flowering                               : July-September

Fruiting                                   : September-November

History                                   :

Parts                                       : Roots.

Status                                     : Vulnerable.

Phytochemistry

Thalrugosidine, thalrugosaminine, thalisopine, thalirugidine, oyberberine (berlambine) and noroxyhydrastinine isolated from roots (J. Nat Prod 1981, 44, 4.5); a new aporphine alkalold  N, 0, 0 trimethylasparsiflorine  isolated from rhizomes along with thalicarpine, thalidasine, thalrugosidine, retuculine, magnoflonne, berberine and palmatine (J. Nat. Prod. 1982, 45, 254; thalifendine, palmatine, berberine, columbarnine, jatorrhizine, thalisdatine, dehydodiscretamine, rugosninone, tembetarine, xanthoplanine and magnoflorine isolated from roots (Phytochemistry 1983, 22, 2607).

 

Unani

 A kind of turmeric, bitter and pungent, tonic with a slight purgative action, clears the brain; used as collyrium in ophthalmia, improves eye-sight; good in toothache, in acute diarrhoea; good application in piles, nail trouble and in discoloration of the skin.

Traditional

The juice extracted from the young leave is norrnally applied externally on the cuts & wounds to stop excess bleeding followed by immediate healing (C.S).

Other: The root combines tonic and aperients properties and has been useful in convalescence after acute diseases, in mild forms of intermittent fevers and in atonics dyspepsia. In Punjab, the root is used as purgative and diuretic. Used to cure malarial fever (Root is pounded and eaten).