Habitat: Forests of tropical and subtropical India, from Himalayas as far west as Kumaon, and southwards to the Peninsula.
Ayurvedic: Chhatri, Karkatajihvaa, Kukurjihvaa.Siddha/Tamil: Nalava, Nyekki, Ottanali.Folk: Karkani (Maharashtra).Synonym: L. esculenta Moench.Family: Papilionaceae; Fabaceae.Habitat: Native to South West Asia; cultivated as a pulse crop mainly in North India, Madhya Pradesh and some parts of Maharashtra.
English: Lentil.Ayurvedic: Masura, Masurikaa, Mangalyaa, Mangalyak, Adaasa.Unani: Masoor.Siddha: Misurpurpu.Action: Seeds—mostly used as a pulse. Contain as much as 30% proteins (similar to those of peas and beans). Soup is used in gastric troubles and constipation. Paste or poultice is applied to foul and indolent ulcers.
Dosage: Dried seed—10-20 g. (API, Vol. III.) oil, extracted from the seeds, is similar to olive oil. The seeds possess feeble antimalarial activity. The seed extract showed 100% toxicity against Alternaria alternata and marked toxicity against Aspergillus niger.Dosage: Root—5-10 g powder. (API, Vol. IV.)