n. (in anatomy) a treelike structure. Arbor vitae is the treelike outline of white matter seen in sections of the cerebellum; it also refers to the treelike appearance of the inner folds of the cervix (neck) of the uterus.
Habitat: Sub-Himalayan tract, from Jammu eastwards to West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
English: Kumbi, Slow-Match tree.Ayurvedic: Katabhi, Kumbhi- ka, Kumbhi, Kumbi, Kaitrya, Kumudikaa.Siddha/Tamil: Kumbi, Ayma.Action: Bark—demulcent (in coughs and colds), antipyretic and antipruritic (in eruptive fevers), anthelmintic, antidiarrhoeal. An infusion of flowers is given after child birth.
Seeds contain triterpenoid sapo- genols, sterols; leaves contain a tri- terpene ester, beta-amyrin, hexaco- sanol, taraxerol, beta-sitosterol, quer- cetin and taraxeryl acetate.Careya herbacea Roxb., a related species, is known as Kumbhaadu-lataa in Bengal.Dosage: Bark—50-100 ml decoction. (CCRAS.)... careya arboreaHabitat: Throughout India, up to 1,700 m on the hills and in Andaman Island; also grown in gardens.
English: Candahar tree, White Teak.Ayurvedic: Gambhaari, Kaash- mari, Kaashmarya, Sarvatobhadraa, Bhadra, Mahaabhadraa, Sadaab- hadraa, Madhuparnikaa, Sriparni, Pitarohini, Hiraa, Bhadraparni, Trishati.Siddha/Tamil: Kattanam, KumizhamAction: Leaf—demulcent, bechic. Used for removing foetid dis charges from ulcers. Root— stomachic, laxative, antibilious, demulcent, galactagogue. Bark— anticephalalgic. Root and bark— febrifuge.
The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia ofIn- dia recommends the use of the bark and stem in inflammatory diseases and oedema; the fruit in dysuria and haem- orrhagic diseases.The heartwood contains lignans, ar- borone, 7-oxodihydrogmelinol, pau- lownin acetate and epieudesmin; me- trans-p-methoxycinnamate and trans- p-hydroxycinnamic acid.Alcoholic extract of stem bark showed anti-inflammatory activity comparable to phenylbutazone.Dosage: Root, root bark—20-30 g for decoction. (API Vol. I.)The leaves show antibiotic activity against E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus.... gmelina arboreaHabitat: Cultivated all over India as a fibre plant.... gossypium arboreum
Habitat: Sub-Himalayan tract, Bengal, Central and South India.
English: Tree Jasmine.Ayurvedic: Nava-mallikaa.Siddha/Tamil: Nagamalli.Folk: Chameli (var.), Maalati (var.).Action: Leaves—astringent and stomachic. Juice of the leaves, with pepper, garlic and other stimulants, is used as an emetic in obstruction of the bronchial tubes due to viscid phlegm.... jasminum arborescens
Habitat: Outer Himalaya, Assam, West Bengal; cultivated in many parts of India.
English: Tree of Sorrow, Night Jasmine, Coral Jasmine.Ayurvedic: Paarijaata, Shephaali, Shephaalikaa, Mandaara.Unani: Harasingaar.Siddha: Pavazha mattigai.Action: Leaves—bitter tonic, chola- gogue, febrifuge, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, hypotensive, respiratory stimulant. Used for fevers, rheumatism, obstinate sciatica.
The leaves and seeds contain iri- doid glycosides; other constituents reported from the leaves are mannitol, beta-amyrin, beta-sitosterol, hentria- contane, benzoic acid, astragalin, nico- tiflorin, oleanolic acid, nyctanthic acid, friedelin and lupeol. The seeds contain a polysaccharide glucomannan.All parts of the plant are used for allergic disorders. Alcoholic extract of the plant was found to inhibit passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) in experimental animals. The inhibition was comparable to standard drugs used for allergy and bronchial asthma.Ethanolic extract of the leaves, flowers and seeds demonstrated strong stimulation of antigen specific and non-specific immunity in mice.The 50% ethanolic extracts of the leaves, flowers, seeds and roots were found effective in treating caecal amoe- biasis caused by Entamoeba histolytica in rats. But the extracts did not exhibit direct amoebicidal activity in vitro against trophozoites of the parasite.The iridoid glucosides showed an- tileishmanial activity both in vivo and in vitro.Dosage: Leaf—10-20 ml juice. (CCRAS.)Seeds—used in diabetes, also in cutaneous diseases. Filaments— astringent and cooling; prescribed for bleeding piles and menorrhagia. Plant—toxic on the nervous system.The flowers contain flavonoids including quercetin, kaempferol, api- genin. Cardiac glucoside, nymphalin, showed sedative action in small doses.The petroleum ether extract of the plant of Nymphaea species, given at a dose of 300 mg/kg i.p. prevented necrosis of the liver tissue and promoted, to some extent, liver regeneration in CCl4-induced toxicity.Dosage: Dried flowers—3-6 g (API, Vol. III); seed—3-6 g. powder (CCRAS.).... nyctanthes arbor-tristisHabitat: The temperate Himalayas from Kashmir to Bhutan, the Nilgiris, Khasi Hills and Travancore.
English: Tree-Rhododendron, Rose-Tree.Folk: Burans (Kumaon), Kurbak, Pullaas.Action: Leaf—anticephalalgic (applied to the forehead). Leaf and stem-bark—spasmolytic. Flowers— used in diarrhoea and dysentery.
The green leaves contain a gluco- side, ericolin. The extracts of leaves, stems and bark cause hypotension in cats and inhibit intestinal movements in rabbits. The acetone and chloroform extracts and a resinous fraction from the alcoholic extract of leaves depress respiration. The petroleum ether extract decreases the rate of heartbeat and contraction in isolated heart of frog.An alcoholic (50%) extract of the flowers lowered blood pressure in dogs and albino rats.Cyanidin-3-galactoside and cyani- din-3-arbinoside are present in the pigments of flowers. The leaves of var. nilgiricum and var. cinnamonum contain ursolic acid, friedelin, epifrie- delanol, quercetin. A triterpenoid, campanulin, has been isolated from the leaves of var. nilagaricum.... rhododendron arboreum
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