MEDICINAL PLANTS OF SIKKIM

 

 

Basic Information

 

                 

Species                        : Hedychium spicatum Ham ex Smith

Local Name                  : Sara,Pankha phul (Nep).

Synonym                     :

Family                          : Zingiberaceae.

Habitat                        : The plant is perennial leafy herb up to 2 m tall. Grown in the rich soils with

                                       plenty of water in the forests, swampy grounds on the side of drains and

                                                                                                   moist semi- shady situations,  of the subtropical to temperate Himalayas.

Distribution                : Distributed in the subtropical and temperate Himalayas.

Sikkim                         : Yuksom, Yangyang, Karponang, Raj-Bhawan, Lingtam, Padamchen

Out side                      : Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh (Simla, Mahasu, Jogindra Nagar), Uttar Pradesh (Nainital, Almora,

                                    Chamoli, Ranikhet) also distributed in Malaysia, Japan and Europe, Bhutan (Phuntsoling, Chukkha, Sarbhang, Deothang,

                                    Thimpu and Punakha), Darjeeling (Labha, Rkungbee, Lopchu to Jorbungalow).

Morphological information

It is a perennial, robust herb up to 2 m tall. Rootstock horizontal tuberous, aromatic, bitter comphoraceous taste. Leaves sessile, broadly lanceolate, 30- 60 cm long and up to 10 cm wide tail like lip. Flowers white, with orange red- base, fragrant in terminal spike stamens filament red, capsule globular, 3- valved with orange red lining. Seeds oblong, black with a red aril.

Flowering                  : June-October.

Fruiting                     : June-October.

History                     :

Parts                         : Rhizome and root.

Status                       : Vulnerable.

Phytochemistry

Structure determination of a furanoid diterpene- hedychinone isolated from rhizomes; hydroxyhedychenone isolated from rhizomes; benzyl cinnamate, 1,8- cineole, benzyl acetate and lindyl acetate isolated; detection of cineole, limonene,, -terpinene,  -phellandrene, p- cymene, linalool, caryophyllene and  -terpineol in rhizome essential oil by GLC.

Agrocultivation           : The divisions of rhizome propagate the plant.

Ayurvedic                   : It is used in Ayurvedic preparations like  shatyadichurna, shatyadi Quath and Himanshu tail.

Others                         : The rhizome is carminative, emmenogogue, expectorant, stimulant, stomachic and is used in the general anasarc,

                                     bad taste in mouth, colic, fever, enteric fever and respiratory disorders.

 


Reference

 

 1. Chopra, R.N; S.L. Nayar; I.C. Chopra, (1999). Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants National Institute of Science Communication CSIR, New Delhi. 130 131%

2. Kumar, Sushil; Janardhan Singh; N.C. Shah; Vinay Ranjan (1997). Indian Medicinal and Aromatic Plants facing Genetic Erosion,CIMAP, Lucknow.126 128.%

3. Noltie, H.J. (1994). Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. Flora of Bhutan (Vol. 3, Part 1). 203.%

4. Polunin, Oleg; Stainton, Adam. (1990). Concise Flowers of the Himalaya, Delhi. Oxford University Press Bombay, Calcutta Madras. 148.%

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

6. Satyavati, G.V; A.K Gupta; Neraj Tendon (1987) Medicinal Plants of India (Vol. 2). Indian council of Medicinal Research New Delhi. 1 4.%

7. Tsarong, Tsewang J. (1994). Tibetan Medicinal Plants. Tibetan Medicinal Publications, Kalimpong West Bengal. 37%

8. Thakur, R.S; H.S Puri; Akhtar Hussain (1989). Major Medicinal Plants of India. CIMAP Lucknow. 303 306.