Habitat: Throughout the drier parts of India.
Ayurvedic: Vikankata (substitute) Sruva-Vrksha (substitute), Vyaaghrapaadi.Siddha/Tamil: Kattangi, Nandunarai, Valuluvai.Folk: Baikal.Action: Plant—antispasmodic. Root—used in gastroenteritis and dysentery.
The bark is ground to a paste and applied with mustard oil to kill lice in the hair. A decoction of leafy twigs is used as a mouth wash to relieve toothache.The leaves contain celacinnine, al- pha-and beta-amyrin, beta-amyrone, beta-sitosterol and its 3'-O-glucoside and kaempferol. The extracts of the plant show cytotoxic effect on some cancers. An ointment, prepared by mixing leaf ash and purified butter, is used for sores.