Pankaj Oudhia’s Notes on Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb. [Kirtikar, Kanhoba Ranchoddas, and Baman Das Basu. "Indian Medicinal Plants." Indian Medicinal Plants. (1918)].
Pankaj Oudhia’s Notes on Pterocarpus
marsupium Roxb. [Kirtikar, Kanhoba Ranchoddas, and Baman Das Basu.
"Indian Medicinal Plants." Indian
Medicinal Plants. (1918)].
Pankaj Oudhia
Introduction
Based on Ethnobotanical
surveys since year 1990 in different parts of India Pankaj Oudhia has
documented vital information about Medicinal Plants mentioned in the famous
publication by Kirtikar and Basu (1918). Through this research document Pankaj
Oudhia has tried to present original document with additional notes. For
complete paper with pictures, Interactive Tables, Video and Audio clips please
visit pankajoudhia.com
For original publication by Kirtikar and Basu (1918) please visit https://archive.org/details/indianmedicinalp01kirt
406. P.
marsupium, Roxb. h.f.b.l, ii. 239,
Roxb. 536.
Vern. : — Bija,
bijilar, peetshola (H .); Bibla, huni, asan
(Bomb.) ;
Kandamiruga-mirattam, vengai (Tarn.) ; Gandunv
rugam-nettura,
peddagi, pedei, zegi (Tel.) ; Karin-thagara \Mal.)
The gum —
Kamarkas (PL); Chinai-gond (Bomb.).
Habitat :— All
parts of the Madras Peninsula, extending
North to the
Rajmahal Hills in Bihar and Central India.
A large,
deciduous tree. Bark gin. thick, grey, with long
vertical cracks,
exfoliating in small pieces of irregular shape
and size. Wood
very hard, close-grained, giving a red resin ;
sapwood small ;
heartwood yellowish-brown, with darker streaks.
Leaves with soft
adpressed hairs while young, dark green,
shining. Leaflets
5-7, coriaceous, elliptic-obtuse, emarginate,
sometimes
shortly acuminate, glabrous when full grown.
Secondary nerves
15-20 pair, with intermediate ones joined
by prominent
reticulate veins. Flowers yellow or white,
pedicels much
shorter than Calyx, in terminal panicles. Calyx
N. O.
LEGUMINOS^E. 459
peduncles, and
pedicels clothed with dark-brown hairs.
Stamens
monadelphons, the sheath deeply 2-fid. Corolla
twice the length
of the Calyx, -J-iin., finely downy ; teeth
deltoid, the two
upper ones largest. Pod li-2in,, broad,
often 2-seeded ;
orbicular ; wing about ^-fin.
Uses : — Not
noticed by Sanskrit or Mahomedan writers. [Pankaj Oudhia’s Comment: Disagree.]
Natives on the
Coromandel Coast use the gum for toothache
(Ainslie,;. The
bark of the tree is used in Goa as an astringent
(Dymock;. Kino
is officinal in both Indian and British
Pharmacopoeias.
It is used as an astringent in diarrhoea and
pyrosis. Its
action being milder, it is better adapted for children
and delicate
females (Ph. Ind).
[Pankaj Oudhia’s Comment: Through
Ethnobotanical surveys I have collected information about over 20,000
Traditional Herbal Formulations in which Pterocarpus plant parts are added as
Primary Ingredient. The natives have rich Traditional Medicinal Knowledge about
this species but unfortunately modern researchers have done little to validate
this knowledge under the frame of modern science. Please see Table Beeja-1 to
Beeja-20 for exhaustive list of these Formulations with interesting observations.]
Rumphius states
that the gum cures diarrhoea, and the
bruised leaves
are useful as an external application to boils,
sores, and skin
diseases. [Pankaj
Oudhia’s Comment: Pterocarpus gum is used in over 18000 Traditional Herbal
Formulations as secondary ingredient. Please see Table Beeja-21 for details.
The Traditional Healers are aware of miraculous wound healing properties of
Pterocarpus leaves since time immemorial. In both Diabetic and cancerous wounds
specially at advanced stages when other remedies fail to give the desired
effects the healers use Pterocarpus leaves based Herbal Formulations. I have
documented information about thousands of Herbal Formulations in which the
leaves are added as primary, secondary and tertiary ingredients. Hundreds of
indigenous herbs particularly herbs growing in surroundings of Pterocarpus population
are used in these Formulations. Wild Mushroom, Medicinal Insects and Mites and
Medicinal ferns are an integral part of these Formulations. Please see Table
Beeja-22 for details.]
E-documents on
Pterocarpus
Citation
Oudhia, Pankaj (2013).
Pankaj Oudhia’s Notes on Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb. [Kirtikar, Kanhoba Ranchoddas, and Baman Das Basu.
"Indian Medicinal Plants." Indian
Medicinal Plants. (1918)]. www.pankajoudhia.com
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