www.malaysianherbals.com-Coffee senna - (90)Senna occidentalis-தகரை

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Senna occidentalis-தகரைச்செடி

Senna occidentalis is a pantropical plant species.

Vernacular names include : ʻauʻaukoʻi in Hawaii, coffee senna, coffeeweed, Mogdad coffee, negro-coffee, senna coffee,Stephanie coffee, stinkingweed or styptic weed.^{[citation needed]}

The species was formerly placed in the genus Cassia.The species was formerly placed in the genus Cassia.

The plant is reported to be poisonous to cattle^. The plant contains anthraquinones. The roots contain emodin and the seeds contain chrysarobin (1,8-dihydroxy-3-methyl-9-anthrone) and N-methylmorpholine.

Mogdad coffee seeds can be roasted and used as a substitute for coffee. They have also been used as an adulterant for coffee. There is apparently no caffeine in mogdad coffee.

Despite the claims of being poisonous, the leaves of this plant, Dhiguthiyara in Dhivehi,  have been used in the diet of the Maldives for centuries  in dishes such as mas huni and also as a medicinal plant.

The herb is reported to be used as condiment and in perfumery. The young leaves are eaten aloned as potherb or cooked along with unripe pods and eaten with rice ; the leaf when eaten is reported to act as a prophylactic against leucorrhoea.

  The herb can be utilized as cattle-feed and can from maintenance ration for bullocks although suspected poisoning of stock in Northern Queensland and scouring in heifers have been reported. The herb can be used for reclamation of land and also as green manure to restore fertility in exhausted fields. It is often cultivated as a shade plant.

  All parts of the plant have almost similar properties. They possess purgative, tonic, febrifugal, expectorant and diuretic properties. The plant is used to cure sore eyes, haematuria, rheumatism, typhoid, asthama and disorders of haemoglobin, is also reported to cure leprosy. A decoction of the plant is used in hysteria, in dysentery and other stomach troubles, and also as an application to sores, itch and inflammation of the rectum. The plant is employed in dropsy, and as a vermifuge. Along with other plant as, it is made into an ointment used for skin diseases. The herb forms an ingredient of the patented indigenous herbal drug “Liv-52”, which shows marked effect in the early cases of hepatic cirrhosis having steatorrhoea ; Liv-52 reduced the toxicity of cadmium and beryllium in experimentally infected rats with SFV (Semiliki forest encephalitis virus). As an ingredient effect in rats ; excellent response was recorded in senile pruritus cases. An infusion of the bark is given in diabetes. The volatile oil obtained from the leaves, roots and seeds showed anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activity.The leaves have purgative, febrifugal, tonic, sudorific, diuretic and stomachic properties. They are given in cough and hysteria. A lotion of the leaves is used as an eye-wash in tetanus. The leaves are used internally and externally in skin-diseases, such as itches, yaws, scabies and ring-worm. A decoction of the leaves is given to children as a mild vermifuge ; the hot decoction is given as an antiperiodic and is reported to be preferred to quinine for its tonic properties. The fresh leaves, pounded with salt and onions, are applied as a poultice to guineaworm sores to extruse the worms. They are used in the inflammatory swelling, rheumatism, wounds, sprains and wrenches and also given in jaundice, pleurisy, headache and toothache. A paste of the leaves with calcium hydroxide is applied on abscesses for quick opening and pus clearance. The leaf paste is also applied externally for bone fracture. The leaves are used in foot and mouth disease of cattle. Their extract exhibits activity against earthworms.

  The seed is bitter and has tonic, febrifugal and purgative properties. It is considered to be a blood tonic and excellent diuretic. Seeds are useful in cough and whooping cough, convulsions and in heart diseases. Their powder is externally applied in cutaneous diseases and eruptions. The extracts showed positive response on guinea pig-ileum, rat-uterus, rabbit-heart, and depressor-effect on blood-pressure of dogs, and also activity against earthworms.                            

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www.malaysianherbals.com-(88), Indian Sorrel-புளியாரையில் ஓரினம்

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புளியாரையில் ஓரினம்

Oxalis corniculata

 

இந்தியன் சோரல்--INDIAN SORREL

இதை இந்தியன் அனைவரும் அறிவார்களா?

இதனை கலப்புக்கீரையுடன் சேர்த்து கறி சமைக்கலாம்.
Oxalis corniculata, the creeping woodsorrel, also called procumbent yellow-sorrel or sleeping beauty, resembles the common yellow woodsorrel, Oxalis stricta.

 It is a somewhat delicate-appearing, low-growing, herbaceous plant in the family Oxalidaceae. It has a narrow, creeping stem that readily roots at the nodes. The trifoliate leaves are subdivided into three rounded leaflets and resemble a clover in shape. Some varieties have green leaves, while others, like Oxalis corniculata var. atropurpurea, have purple. The leaves have inconspicuous stipules at the base of each petiole.
The fruit is a narrow, cylindrical capsule, 1 to 2 cm long and noteworthy for its explosive discharge of the contained, 1 mm long seeds
Description: The flowers are 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) across and have 5 oval petals. The leaves are clover-like and palmate with 3 notched, heart-shaped, green leaflets. The leaflets fold up at night. The plants are low-growing and have long, trailing stems that root at the leaf nodes, allowing them to spread rapidly.

Distribution

This species is cosmopolitan in its distribution, and its place of origin is unknown, but it is considered an Old World plant. It is regarded as weed in gardens, agricultural fields, and lawns.

Uses

The leaves of wood sorrel are quite edible, with a tangy taste of lemons. A drink can be made by infusing the leaves in hot water for about 10 minutes, sweetening and then chilling. The entire plant is rich in vitamin C. Any wood sorrel is safe in low dosages, but if eaten in large quantities over a length of time can inhibit calcium absorption by the body.
In India, where the plant is known as chichoda bhaji (approximately "earthalmond greens"), it is only eaten seasonally, starting around December.

The leaves contain oxalic acid, which gives them their sharp flavor. Perfectly all right in small quantities, the leaves should not be eaten in large amounts since oxalic acid can bind up the body's supply of calcium leading to nutritional deficiency. The quantity of oxalic acid will be reduced if the leaves are cooked. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyper acidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition. Arable land and waste places, it is a common garden weed where it tends to become especially troublesome in pots of plants growing in greenhouses etc.   http://www.sidhhaherbs.blogspot.com

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www.malaysianherbals.com- (89)Senna surattensis-ஆவாரையில் ஓரினம்

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Senna surattensis
  
                                                                                                          

   

                                                                                     
                                                                    
Common name: Glaucous Cassia, Scrambled Egg Tree, Golden Senna, Singapore Shower, Sunshine Tree, Sulphur-flowered senna • Marathi: Motha farvad • Kannada: Adavi tangadi, Bettadavare,  

Glaucous Cassia is a small tree and very common in Southeast Asian gardens and is also often seen planted along citystreets and roadsites. The flowering days of Galucous Cassia are prolonged and beautiful. As a species, it is capable of flowering from January through December. Many trees have their best show in the spring and summer while others are at their showiest from fall into spring. The trunk and branches are a silver-gray color. The bright,sometimes pale yellow flowers appear continuously at the end of the branches. Flowers are very similar to those of Indian Laburnum, but never look so spectacular because they do not hang in bunches. Flowers attract butterflies. It is a rapidly easy growing tree,which tolerates poor soil. 
 Many trees have their best show in the spring and summer while others are at their showiest from fall into spring. Late summer and mid winter are usually the two periods of minimum or no flower displays, and mid winter is when many trees can become quite unkempt.
What’s quite noticeable is that most

trees, growing in close proximity to each other, either put on an exceptional show or nary a flower. This suggests that flowering is stimulated by local maintenance regimes more so than by changing weather. Newly planted trees must be kept well watered to become established and apparently to flower adequately.

After establishment reduce irrigation. In alternate years, prune once after a major flowering episode to keep a tight attractive canopy. You may want to prune more often since heavy flowering can leave some trees disheveled, with scant leaves and dry,hanging, blackened pods. The trunk and branches are a silver-gray color. The crown is naturally rounded and airy, but pruning and wind damage will thicken and shorten the canopy of many trees. Easily toppled by wind,S. surattensis should probably be staked for up to three years after planting or until it becomes properly established.It is generally not a long lived tree,and will usually not survive for more than 6 years under normal street scape conditions. However, properly tended, it can live for more than 10 years. This means keeping it properly standing and maintaining it free of scales and the pink hibiscus mealy bug. Typical of this genus,S. surattensis attracts egg-laying cloudless sulfur  butterflies. The caterpillars feed on the leaves and flowers of the tree. However, caterpillar feeding does little to detract from the beauty of its magnificent displays. Maintain  a fertilizer schedule for best appearance.

Senna species make good ornamental plants and are used for landscape gardening. The wide variety of species and ecological adaptations makes at least a handful of sennas suitable for any climate warmer than cool-temperate.

Cassia gum - a commonly-used thickening agent - despite its name, is actually from Chinese Senna (S. obtusifolia) seeds.
 In some Southeast Asian cuisines (particularly those of Thailand and Laos), the leaves and flowers of Siamese Senna (S. siamea, called khi-lek in Thai), either fresh or pickled in brine, are used in cooking, particularly in gaeng khi-lek (khi-lek curry).

Another senna, Senna italica ssp. italica (= Cassia obovata), often called "neutral henna", is used as a hair treatment with effects similar to henna but without the red color.

 The active component is an anthraquinone derivative called chrysophanic acid(1,8-Dihydroxy-3-methylanthraquinone), also called chrysophanol, which is also found in higher concentrations in rhubarb root. It adds a slight yellow color. Chrysophanol has been reported to have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory  properties. It is also used by the beetle Galeruca tanaceti as a pheromone^.
Some species of Senna are notable for being host to caterpillars of certain Lepidoptera species, for example

The sennas are typically shrubs or subshrubs, some becoming scandent when growing into other vegetation. Some are herbs or small trees. Many species have extrafloral nectaries.
The leaves are paripinnately compound, the leaflets opposite. The inflorescence is a raceme, or some arrangement or racemes. The pedicels lack bracteoles.
The flowers produce no nectar. They are buzz pollinated and offer pollen as a reward to pollinators. They are often asymmetric. The petals are 5 in number, similar to each other, yellow, or rarely white.
The stamens may be as few as 4, but usually there are 10. When 10, they occur in 3 sets. The 3 adaxial stamens are staminodial. The 4 medial stamens are smaller than the 3 abaxial stamens. The anthers are basifixed and open by two terminal pores or short slits.
The gynoecium is often enantiostylous; that is, it is deflected laterally to the right or left. This makes the flower asymmetric, but the perianth and the androecium may be asymmetrical as well.
The fruit is a legume, indehiscent or tardily dehiscent.

   

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www.malaysianherbals.com-SAW PALMETTO-(87)Serenoa repens

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Serenoa repens

 saw palmetto plant



saw palmetto plant contains a compound that may reduce the symptoms of Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which is a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland.

 Symptoms of an enlarged prostate include dribbling after urination and getting up many times during the night to urinate.

SAW PALMETTO
A very small type of fan palm, protected in the wild, now famous for extracts from its fruits which are used in treatments of prostate and urinary problems.
Description:
A very slow growing and very short palm, growing to 10-12ft, but often not exceeding 2-4ft. Part of the fan palm group, it has fan-shaped leaves composed of up to 20 leaflets. The common saw palmetto has green leaves but there are some silvery-green leaved types as well. Saw Palmetto's are also long-lived with many wild specimens believed to be well over 500 years old.

Serenoa repens.
 commonly known as saw palmetto, is the sole species currently classified in the genus Serenoa. It has been known by a number of synonyms, including Sabal serrulatum, under which name it still often appears in alternative medicine. It is a small palm, normally reaching a height of around 2–4 m (3–6 ft). Its trunk is sprawling, and it grows in clumps or dense thickets in sandy coastal lands or as undergrowth in pine woods or hardwood hammocks. Erect stems or trunks are rarely produced but are found in some populations. It is endemic to the southeastern United States, most commonly along the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal plains, but also as far inland as southern Arkansas. It is a hearty plant; extremely slow growing, and long lived, with some plants, especially in Florida where it is known as simply the palmetto, possibly being as old as 500–700 years.]

Saw palmetto is a fan palm, with the leaves that have a bare petiole terminating in a rounded fan of about 20 leaflets. The petiole is armed with fine, sharp teeth or spines that give the species its common name. The teeth or spines are easily capable of breaking the skin, and protection should be worn when working around a Saw Palmetto. The leaves are light green inland, and silvery-white in coastal regions. The leaves are 1–2 m in length, the leaflets 50–100 cm long. They are similar to the leaves of the palmettos of genus Sabal. The flowers are yellowish-white, about 5 mm across, produced in dense compound panicles up to 60 cm long. The fruit is a large reddish-black drupeand is an important food source for wildlife and historically for humans. The plant is used as a food plant by the larvae of someLepidoptera species such as Batrachedra decoctor, which feeds exclusively on the plant. This plant is also edible to human beings, but the more green it is the more bitter tasting it would be.

The generic name honors American botanist Sereno Watson.

 GERMINATION
 By seeds, which should be soaked in warm water for 24 hours prior to planting. Seeds germinate slowly and may take several weeks or months to sprout.

Uses: Grown as an ornamental for its fan-shaped leaves. The fruits were once an important food source for local inhabitants.

 Today the fruits are used to prepare extracts which reportedly help in the treatment of some prostate and urinary problems. There are also a variety of other medicinal applications for the fruits which are under investigation, such as anabolic use, anti-impotence as an oestrogenic agent.

Native Range: Native to the southeastern United States, from Florida north to South Carolina and parts of Southern Arkansas.

Herbs contain many powerful antioxidants that act to clear free radicals and toxins from the body.

Historically, saw palmetto has been used as a tea to treat benign enlargement of the prostate. It was commonly used to treat frequent urinary tract infections and it was also believed it could increase sex drive in men and sperm production. Frequent urination and excessive night urination, due to inflammation of the bladder or prostate, was a common condition treated by saw palmetto in the past.

  

 This Medicinal Plant helps :

To help build and strengthen tissue and increase metabolism.

As a diuretic which improves urinary flow.

As an expectorant to relieve chronic bronchitis, asthma and chest congestion.

In thyroid disorders.

To stimulate appetite, digestion and absorption of nutrients.

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