Morphological information

A spreading evergreen shrub. The leaves are opposete, but sometimes inwhorls of three, subsessile, lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate or ovate lanceolate. 5-10cm long and 2-3.5 cm wide, acuminate. Flowers scarlet about 1.5 cm long in short panicled axillary cymes. Calyx tubular, scarlet with six teeth. Petals 6 as long as sepals. Stamens 12, much everted. Capsule ellipsoid, 8-10mm long. Enclosed in the calyx tube, seeds many.

Flowering                   : March-May.

Fruiting                       : June-July.

History                       :

Parts                           : bark, flowers.

Status                         : Common in open hill slopes.

Ayurvedic

It is an important ingredient of various "Asava and Aristha", probably because of some sugar present in the flower which facilitatesthe fermentation. It is also used in "Brihat kasturi, Bhairva Rasa" for fevers "Nidrodaya Rasa" for inducing sleep etc.

Unani

It is one of the ingredients of and important preparation "Majun Zanjibil"' a sex stimulant and "Arq faulad", a nervine tonic.

Other

In the case of nausea and vomiting, powdered flowers with honey and small quantity of powdered charcoal are given. The flowers are also used as herbal bath in the case of bleeding piles and with milk and sugar in mennorhagia as an anti haemorrhagic.the paste of these flowers, long pepper and fruit of Phyllanthus emblica is rubbed on the gums of infants during the teething trouble.

 

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