Morphological information

Rootstock tuberous or elongate, rather stout, sometimes 1ft. long. Leaves 6-

18 inch petiole 6inch or less. Scape 1 inch clavate, flattened hidden by the leaf- sheath. Flowers distichous, lowest 2 sexual, the rest all male; bracts lanceolate. Perianth segments 1/2- 2/3 inch. Ovary villous, the stipes and perianth above epigeous; stigma 3 cleft; cells 6- 8 ovules. Capsule 1/2 inch oblong, hypogenous, 1- 4 seeded, beak slender; septa spongy. Seeds 1/3 inch long oblong, deeply grooved in wavy lines, black, shining. Male flower with no ovary, style or stigma.

Flowering              : In Summer

Fruiting                 : In Autumn.

History                 :

Parts                    : Rhizome.

Status                  : Low Risk.

Phytochemistry

Detection of palmitic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, arachdic and behenic acids in root oil by TLC- GC (Indian Drugs 1980, 18, 109); 3- methoxy -5- acetyl -31- tritriacontene isolated from roots (Acta Cienic Indica 1981, 7, 174; Chem. Abstr. 1982, 97, 141652 d); 2 methoxy- 4- acetyl- 5- methyltriacontane from roots. (Indian 1. Chem. 1983, 22B, 282).

Ayurvedic

 The root is bitter, sweet, heating, aphrodisiac, alternative; appetizer, fattening; useful in piles, "Vata", complaints biliousness, fatigue, diseases of the blood.

Unani

The root is bitter, sweet; carminative, tonic, aphrodisiac, antipyretic; useful in bronchitis, ophthalmia, indigestion, vomiting, diarrhoea, lumbago, dyspnoea, gonorrhea, gleets, hydrophobia, pains in the joints.

 

Other

It is prescribed for asthma, piles, jaundice, diarrhoea, impotency, nervous debility, colic and gonorrhea. It is considered to be demulcent diuretic, tonic and aphrodisiac, and is often a combination of aromatic and bitters. Mixed with roots of Asparagus racemosus, Sphaeranthus indicus, Tinospora cordifolia and seeds of Butca flondora and root of Palmyra palm and taken with honey and cows milk it preventsweakness due to old age and bring in young strength and spirit in old men and women producing freshness in face and body.

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