(Linn.) Willd.Family: Mimosaceae.
Habitat: All over India, from the plains up to 900 m in the Himalayas; also in the Andamans.
English: Siris tree, East Indian walnut.Ayurvedic: Shirisha, Bhandi, Bhandila, Shitapushpa, Mridu- pushpa, Kapitana (bark—dusty black).Unani: Siras.Siddha/Tamil: Vaagei.Action: Antiseptic, antibacterial, antiallergic, antidermatosis, antidysenteric. Bark—used in bronchitis; bark and seeds in piles; root in hemicrania; flowers in cough, bronchitis, tropical pulmonary eosinophilia, and asthma. Pod— antiprotozoal.
Along with other therapeutic applications, The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India indicates the use of stembark in rhinitis, sinusitis and migraine.Analysis of the plant revealed the presence of flavonoids, triterpenoids and triterpenoid saponins; oleano- lic acid, albigenic acid, albigenin and acacic acid. The bark contains 7-11% condensed tannin; also d-catechin and d-leucocyanidin.Aqueous extract of the bark decreased histamine-induced broncho- spasm in guinea pigs.Alcoholic extract of stembark contains cardenolide glycosides of digitox- in nature. It showed antidermatophyt- ic activity. Anthraquinone glycosides and its aglycone exhibited antibacterial activity.A saponin from seeds exhibited spermicidal activity in animals. EtOH (50%) extract of pods was found to be spermicidal against rat and human spermatozoa at 2% concentration.The therapeutic properties of Albizia julibrissin Durazz, Pink Siris, found in the outer Himalayas from the Indus eastwards to Sikkim, are the same as those of A. lebbeck.Dosage: Stembark—3-6 g powder.20-50 g for decoction. (APIVol. III.)