Morphological information

A shrub or small slender tree. Bark thin, grey; branchlets quadrangular, whitish with a fine tomenturn. Leaves 3-5 foliolate; leaflets lanceolate, acute, the terminal leaflet 5-10 by 1.6-3.2 cm with a petiolule 1-1.3 cm long, the lateral leaflets smaller with a very short petiolule all nearly glabrous above, covered with a fine white tomenturn beneath, base acute, common petioles 2.5-3.8 cm long. Flowers in pedunculate branched tomentose cymes, opposite along the quadrangular tomentose rhachis of a large terminal often-compound pyramidal panicle; bracts 1.5-2.5 mm long, lanceolate caduceus. Calyx 3mm long, white-tomentose, teeth triangular, 0.8-1 mm long. Corolla 1 cm long, bluish purple, tomentose outside, hairy inside at the insertion of the stamens; filaments hairy at the very base. Ovary glabrous; style glabrous; stigma forked. Drupe less than 6 mm diameter, black when ripe.

Flowering                   : August-October

Fruiting                       : October-February

History                       :

Parts                           : Whole plant, fruits, seeds, flowers, leaves, bark and root.

Status                         : Low risk.

Phytochemistry

Two new flavanoids- 6-C-glucosyl-5-0- rhamno pyranosyl trimethoxy wogonin (I) and acerosin-5-0-glucoside monoacetate (II) isolated from bark; a-pinene, limonene, camphene, p-phellandrene, Methylheptenopne, p-cymene, linallol, camphor, 4-terpineol, citral, caryophyllene oxide, caryophyllene, terpinyl acetate, benzaldehyde and cinnamaldehyde identified in essential oil; new compounds -3, 6, 7, 3'.4-pentameoxyflavone -5- o- glucopyranosylrhamnoside, vitexin caffeate and methoxymyricetin -3- 0- [4"-o-β-D-galactosy] -β-D-galactopyranoside - isolated from stem bark; roots contained hentriacontane, β-sitosterol acetate and stigmasterol; essential oil from leaves yielded (α- pinene. Camphene, caryophyllene, citral and two unidentified compounds; a new iridoid-2’-p-hydroxybenzoylmussaenoside acid- isolated from leaves; isolation and structure elucidation of a new furanoeremophilane (III); 6’-p-hydroxybenzoylmussaenosidic acid isolated and characterized; nishindaside and negundoside isolated from leaves and structure of former isolated.

Medicinal

The leaves are aromatic and are considered tonic and vermifuge.

Ayurvedic

It is a constituent of the Ayurvedic preparations Vishagarbha thaila and another compound oil. Used in diseases of the eye, consumption, inflammations, leucoderma, enlargement of the spleen, bronchitis, asthma, biliousness, painful teething of children.

Traditional

The paste of root or aerial part can be applied in case of swelling (Project Report 2000, Lepcha System.) A decoction of the leaves with the addition of long-pepper (Piper longum) is given in catarrhal fever with heaviness of the head and dullness of hearing; the leaves are also smoked for the relief of headache and catarrh. A decoction of the leaves and the vapour are employed in baths for the treatment of febrile, catarrhal and rheumatic affections. A decoction of the leaves is found to prevent the development of swellings of joints in experimental arthritis in adult albino rats, caused by formaldehyde injection. The juice of leaves is said to be used for the treatment of foetid discharges. An ointment made from the juice is applied as a hair tonic. (C.S.)

 

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