MEDICINAL PLANTS OF SIKKIM

 

 

Basic Information

 

Species                                   : Viscum nepalense Spreng.

Local Name                             :

Synonym                                :

Family                                     : Loranthaceae

Habitat                                   : Leafless parasitic herb on acer tree from 300-2000m.

Distribution                            : Distributed at tropical temperate Himalayas from Kashmir to Nepal. Common

                                               on trees in the lower and middle hill.

Sikkim                                      : Lower- upper Dzongu. Tree existed on the riverbank of Teesta, Yuksom-Prekchu, Subaney Dara, Pangolakha

                                                (East Sikkim).

Outside                                   : Temperate Himalayas from the Kashmir to Nepal (3000-7000 ft), west Bengal (Panchasari, Darjeeling).

General                                   : Himalaya (Kashmir-Darjeeling).

Morphological information

Shrubby, rarely herbaceous, stem-parasite of trees. Leaves opposite, sometimes alternate, entire, pinnately or palmately veined. Flowers is spikes, racemes, umbels or clusters, automorphic. Leaves sessile 3-5 in  a cluster of three to five, bracts concave. Perianth segments 3-4, triangular, thick, acute, decidous with embedded stamens, fruit pseudo-berry, white 1/4-1/2 inch long ellipsoid.

Flowering                                : November-December.

Fruiting                                   :

History                                   :

Parts                                       : The whole plant.

Status                                     : Endangered

Phytochemistry                      : Two unidentified glycosides isolated from leaves (Acta Pharm.Jugosl. 1980, 30, 163; Chem.abstr.1981, 94, 2046j).

 

Traditional

The plant is used as a resolvent and laxative. It is steeped in hot water, strained and ground with the kernels of walnut or castor oil and used to clear the system of bile and Phlegm (Nepali system). This is used as one of the component during the treatment of bone fracture

(Lepcha System). The Amji also uses as Bongthing, but use this species in favour of lumbago and piles too (Tibetan System).

Homeopathy

It is used in disorders like sterility, depression, hypertension, mensus, epilepsy and as an antispasmodic.

Flower eaten in the lung troubles, a syrup of the petal for the infertile disorders, roots emetic (Biswas & Chopra 1956). Viola is considered a good bronchodiator and expectorant and in the form of decoction along with Glycorrhiza glabra and Adianturn lunulatum may be given in cough. (C.S.)

 

 


Reference

 

1. Biswas K (1982). The Medicinal Plants of Sikkim and Darjeeling Himalaya.

2. Grierson A.J.C & D.G. Long (1993) Flora of Bhutan (Vol 1 part 1.). Royal Botanic garden,Edinburgh. 150.

3. Rai, Lalit Kumar & Sharma, Eklabya (1994), Medicinal Plants of the Sikkim Himalayan Status, Usage and Potential, Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun.

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