MEDICINAL PLANTS OF SIKKIM

 

 

Basic Information

 

                 

Species                       : Eupatorium cannabium Linn

Local Name                 : Banmara(Nep), Namnong (Lep).

Synonym                     : E. adenophorum

Family                         : Asteraceae.

Habitat                       : It is a herb grows on open sunny slopes and is rarely found inside dense forests.

Distribution                : Distributed to temperate region at an altitude of 1600m amsl.

Sikkim                         : Common at roadsides up to 1600 m.

Out side                      : West Bengal.

General                       : Introduced weed, native of America, naturalized in tropical Asia.

Morphological information

Soft hairy perennial shrub to 2m. Leaves ovate, 6 8x2 3 cm, acuminate, toothed, base wedge shaped, pubescent, obscurely 3- nerved; petioles 1- 1.5 cm. Capitula bluish- white, homogamous, in axillary and terminal corymbs: invol. bracts oblong, acute, of various length. Corolla greenish white. Cypsella 5 ridged, brownish. Pappus many white.

Flowering                       : October-February.

Fruiting                          : December-April.

History                          :

Parts                             : Leaves.

Status                           : Low risk.

Phytochemistry            : Revised stereostructure of eupatoriopicrin; structure of euccannabinolide also elucidated (Collect. Czech. Chem. Commun.

                                        1972, 37, 1546).

 

Medicinal

The leaves and tender stems are crushed fresh and the juice is applied to cuts and bruises. Sometimes when the wound is large the squeezed remains of the plant is placed over the wound and poultice applied. The bleeding stops immidiately and the wound is protected from infection. Diuretic, antiscorbutic, cathartic and emetic used as a deobstruent. Herb also employed as an emmenagogue and purgative.

 


Reference

1. Anonymous (1992). The Useful Plants of India. Publications and Information Directorate, CSIR, New Dellhi. 212.

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

3. Rai, Lalit Kumar & Eklabya Sharma (1994). Medicinal Plants of Sikkim Himalayas. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun. 39.