Wonderful herb.....................

When we talk about Snake bite, the plants come to our mind  immediately are Andrographis lineata
 (பெ ரி யா  ந ங் கை ) and Andrographis paniculata (சி றி யா  ந ங் கை ).  They are the most bitter herb which I have tasted next to the Neem- Azardirachta indica ( வே ப் ப  ம ர ம் ).  But they are wonderful herbs used as Medicinal plants from time immemorial.

Both plants have identical characters except the size.  Most of the properties and uses are the same.  When I have visited Palladam on 06-08-2014 I have noticed the Andrographis paniculata (சி றி யா  ந ங் கை ) in the backyard of my brother's house.

This plant belongs to the  Family: Acanthaceae

Distribution: This is an annual herb found through India, specially in dense forests.It is under cultivation in many states of India.

Botany: It is an erect branched annual, 0.3-0.9 meters high, branches sharply quadrangular winged in the upper part; leave - lanceolate, acute, undulate, pale beneath; Flowers small, solitary distant, in axillary or terminal racemes or panicles, bracts lanceolate; Corolla - 2 lipped, upper lip 2-toothed, lower 2 lobed, rose coloured; Flowers - Capsule, linear - oblong, acute at both ends; Seeds many, rugosely pitted, yellowish brown. Flowering time in India is November - December.

Useful parts: Whole plant.

Medicinal Properties: According to Ayurveda the plant is bitter, acrid, cooling, laxative, vulnerary, antipyretic, antiperiodic, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, depurative, soporific, anthelmintic, digestive and useful in hyperdispsia, buring sensation, wounds, ulcers, chronic fever, malarial and intermittent fevers, inflammations, cough, bronchitis, skin diseases, leprosy, colic, flatulence, diarrhoea, dysentery, haemorrhoids etc. Kalmegh is also a reputed Homoeopathic drug. In Bengal (India), household medicine known as "Alui" is prepared from fresh leaves and is given to children suffering from stomach complaints. Recent experimental finding indicated that Kalmegh is having antityphoid and antibiotic properties. It has been proved to be hepatopratective drug.

Chemical Constituents: Andrographis paniculata (சி றி யா  ந ங் கை ) contains bitter principles andrographolide, a bicyclic diterpenoid lactone and Kalmeghin (upto 2.5%). The leaves contain the maximum active principle content while in the stem it is in lesser amount.

The plant is useful for the following treatements:
1. Decoction of the leaves (50 ml) is taken with hot water orally twice a day in snake bite.
2. Paste of leaves is applied on the place of snake bite, scorpion sting and insecticide.
3. Decoction of the leaves (50 ml) is taken with hot water thrice a day for 4 to 6 days in malarial fever
4. Leaves are ground and made into paste and applied externally to cure skin diseases.  Decoction of the plant is used in skin disorders.
5. Fresh leaf juice (50 ml) is taken with hot water internally twice a day for four to six days in diabetes. It is also used in case of anti-diabetic and fever.
6. The leaf powder mixed with sugar and drink to cure jaundice.
7. The juice of the leaves is applied externally in action of swellings, wounds and skin eruptions.
8. The decoction of the leaves is used the treatment of constipation and astringent.
9. The whole plant is pounded and the paste is used for dog bite.
10. The leaf paste is given for stomach pain, two times a day for two days.
11. Fresh leaf juice is given orally thrice a day for one week to treat diuretic.
12. The whole plant is used in bronchitis and biliousness.
13. Leaf juice (50 ml) mixed with hot water is given internally thrice a day 3 days in antipyretic.
14. Ethno veterinary uses

15. Decoction of leaves is used in malarial fever in cow, sheep, goats, buffalo and dog.

16. Leaves is used of diuretic in cattle, sheep and goats. 

17. Paste of leaves is applied to interdigital space in animals suffering from foot and mouth disorders. 

18. Decoction of leaves is applied to wounds and inflammed zones. 

19. Paste of leaves is used to treat itch and skin diseases in cow, buffalo, goat and sheep. 

20. The fresh roots are powdered and the poultice is applied to wound effected by snake bite or 

scorpion sting.

(Courtesy International Journal of Recent Scientific ResearchVol. 3, Issue, 2, pp.71 - 74, February, 2012-Alagesaboopathi, C).

When there was an outbreak of Dengue Fever in Tamilnadu, the Kasyam made from the root of this plant was recommended as treatment.

These herbs should be grown in every house.

Plant of Hilly Region found in Chennai

When I visit my Chennai home, it is my routine to go out with my Handycame.  Because I love the nature I will wander here and there starring at the plants.  During August 2013, I have noticed lot of beautiful  yellow flowers in an abandoned paddy field.  As they are located at the outskirt of Chennai, more probably they became  plots for future construction of homes.

The common name of this plant is Golden Eye Grass. It is also called as Black Musli (Kali Musli in Hindi) The Botanical name is Curculigo orchioides.  The plant belongs to the family Hypoxidaceae.

Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. (Family Hypoxidaceae) is an endangered rasyana herb which is poularly known as "Kali Musli".  The plant is native to India and holds a special position as a potent adaptogen and aphrodisiac in Ayurvedic system of medicine.  It is an important ingredient of many Ayurvedic preparations and is considered to have aphrodisiac, immunostimulant, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anticancer and antidiabetic activities. Various chemical constituents like mucilage, phenolic glycosides, aponins and aliphatic compunds from the plant have been reported.  The plant is also considered as an important component of various herbal preparations of the Chinese and Kampo medicines

Usually this plant will grow in hilly regions have cool climate.  It a small herb with slender, sessile or petiolate leaves.  The eye-catching flowers are bright golden yellow colour.  The petals will be usually 6 in numbers. The flowers are pedicellate or sessile and appear in cluters.  The anthers are sagitate (Spear-like).  The plant has tuberous roots.  The outer rind will be black in colour and the inner part is white in colour.

The Tamil name is  நி ல ப்  ப னை 

I am lucky as I could notice the same plants in bloom this year also, August 2014.

On my way to Ranipet.........
Every day I have to travel 23+23 kms to complete my official work.  Travelling by motor cycle is an awesome experience every day.  To over come this monotony I tried to observe the plants.  If I happen to see a plant species unknown to me I stop immediately and begin to observe the leaves, flowers, fruits etc just to identify the species.  I used to carry a sony handycam, which was gifted by my elder son, when he departed from Dammam.

Looking to plants gave me relief from the boredom of travelling and now-a-days I like to travel anywhere with my handycam always.
Here are some of the plants I have noticed on June 26th of 2014.

Pedalium murex
Family : Pedaliaceae
பெ ரு  நெ ரு ஞ் சி )

It is a mucilaginous plant giving a pungent smell.  The flowers are bright yellow in colour and are bigger in size. The fruit will a spines all over the body.It  is an useful herb in treatment of urinary disorders like urethral irritation, calculi.  The fruit is used as an aphrodisiac along with the Tribulus terrestris

 ( நெ ரு ஞ் சி ) 

It is an inflorescence of Sansivieria zeylanica, belongs to the Family Asperagaceae.

This is thorny semi erect push with beautiful violet coloured flowers.

The Botanical name is Solanum trilobatum

 (தூ து வ ளை ) It is a very useful herb in Herbal Medicine, used from time immemorial for the treatment of bronchitis, cough and other respiratory disorders. People from Tamil Nadu use it as a green vegetable (கீ ரை ).

A cluster of unripened fruits of Jatropha crucas
(கா ட் டா ம ண க் கு ). This belongs to the Family Euphorbiaceae.
 This pant is usually a hedge plant used for fencing.  But the latest trend is production of Bio-diesel from the nuts.  But I wonder as to why it is not popularised in our country having lot of waste lands.  This plant needs less water, survive well in poor soils and needs less care.

A beautiful flower of  Martynia annua
(பு லி  ந க ம் ) belongs to the Family Martyniaceae.  The pant has large leaves with unpleasant odour. The flowers appears in clusters.  The fruits have a pair of sharp nails.

My first Blog

This Plant was noticed in the Waste Land area at Valliyur, a small town in Tirunelveli District.  The flowers look like a flying butterfly with wings, body and head.  Unfortunately I could not identify the species. As I am new to Photography the capture is not satisfactory.  Any how it will have all the essential features of the Plant.
(Later on the Plant was identified as Polygala sp.) belonging to Polygalaceae

This was also noticed at Valliyur.  The plant has long leaves with tubular flowers appearing at the nodes.  I am not sure about the species and the Family.
(Later on the Plant was identified as Enicostema axillare, belonging to the Family Gentianaceae)

This plant was noticed at Puzhal, near Chennai.  The plant appears to belong to the Family Verbanaceae, but I am not sure.  The suburbs of Chennai has a rich store house of many medicinal plants. Later on it was identified as Heliotropium europeum.

This plant was noticed at Puzhal, near Chennai.  The plant was identified as Letadenia reticulata  belong to the Family Aclepiadaceae. It is a medicinal plant used in Ayurveda.