(Hebrew) Woman of the home
Habitat: Native to Europe and temperate Asia. Occurs in West Himalyas from Kashmir to Kumaon.
English: Hyssop.Ayurvedic: Dayaa-kunji. (Nepeta longibractea is also equated with Zuufaa, Dayaa-kunji.)Unani: Zuufaa, Zuufaa Yaabis.Folk: Diyaanku (Laddakh).Action: Stimulant, carminative, sedative, antispasmodic, diuretic, pectoral. Used for bronchitis, coughs and colds. Induces heavy sweating in fevers, increases blood pressure. Emmenagogue. Used externally for bruises, discoloured contusions and cuts.
Key application: As expectorant. (The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia.)Hyssop contains terpenoids, including marrubiin; a volatile oil consisting mainly of camphor, pinocamphone and beta-pinene; flavonoids, gluco- sides, tannins and resin. Marrubiin is a strong expectorant. The plant also contains ursolic acid, an anti- inflammatory principle. The alcoholic extract of the aerial parts at flowering yields an active antioxidant compound, rosmanol-9-ethyl ether. Its activity is much greater than butylat- ed hydroxytoluene. The extract of the plant showed weak hepatoprotective activity against CCl4-induced toxicity in albino mice.Pinocamphone and isopinocam- phone are toxic constituents of the essential oil. Wild plants from Ku- maon (Uttaranchal) shows presence of very small amounts of pinocam- phone (0.61%) in essential oil, as compared to Himalayan hyssop (38.44%) and cultivated North American hyssop (42.66%). The essential oil can induce epileptic seizures.... hyssopus officinalisHabitat: Assam (Lushai hills); cultivated in gardens.
English: Japanese Honeysuckle.Action: The plant is used in China as an antipyretic, stomachic and in dysentery, also as an antidote to consumption of poisonous mushroom. Dried flowers are considered diuretic.
The plant contains tannin and a sa- ponin; lutolin and i-inositol have been isolated from the flowers. The berries are rich in carotenoids of which cryp- toxanthin is the major component. Lonicera angustifolia Wall. ex DC. (the Himalayas from Kashmir to Sikkim at altitudes of 1,800-3,600 m), known as Geaang, Chulu and Mithik in Punjab; and L. glaucea Hook. f. Thoms. (the Himalayas from Kashmir to Ku- maon at altitudes of 3,600-4,800 m), known as Sheaa and Shevaa in Punjab and Kumaon, possess antispasmodic properties.Lonicera periclymenum Linn., Woodbine Honeysuckle, cultivated in hill stations of India, possesses an- tispasmodic, diuretic and sudorific properties. Flowers are used in the form of syrup in diseases of the respiratory tract. The leaves contain an amorphous glycoside and salicylic acid. Sec- oiridoid and secoxyloganin have been isolated from the plant.Lonicera quinquelocularis Hardw. is equated with Himalayan Honeysuckle, found in the Himalayas from Kashmir to Bhutan, up to an altitude of 4,000 m.Honeysuckle, also known as Duch Honeysuckle, Goat's Leaf, is equated with Lonicera caprifolium Linn.... lonicera japonicaHabitat: The Himalayas from Kashmir eastwards at altitudes of 2,000-4,300 m, extending to Sikkim.
English: Lousewort.Folk: Mishran, Michren (Punjab), Lugro-maarpro (Kashmir).Action: Leaves—astringent, haemostatic, diuretic.
The herb is closely related to Eye- bright (Euphrasia officinalis Linn.) of the same family, found in the Temperate Himalayas from Kashmir to Ku- maon. Eyebright is astringent and bac- teriostatic.... pedicularis pectinataHabitat: The Himalayas and the hills of North-eastern India up to 2,700 m.
Folk: Geru (Garhwal, Patiala), Tiliari (Jaunsar), Sukatsing (Ku- maon).Action: Leaves—used in the treatment of rheumatism and fever.
The leaves contain steroidal alkaloids, including saracosine, saracodine and saracodinine; also betulin.Aerial parts exhibit spasmolytic, diuretic and anti-inflammatory activity. Steroidal alkaloids induce non- recoverable fall in blood pressure in dogs.... sarcococca salignaHabitat: Sub-alpine Himalayas, from Kashmir to Sikkim at altitudes of 3,300-5,200 m.; also cultivated in Assam.
English: Indian Rhubarb, Himalayan Rhubarb.Ayurvedic: Amlaparni, Pitamuuli, Gandhini Revatikaa. Revandachini (roots).Unani: Revandchini.Siddha/Tamil: Revalchinikattai, Nattirevaichini.Action: Purgative, astringent, aperient. Used for constipation and atonic dyspepsia. Not advised for patients suffering from gout, rheumatism, epilepsy. (When given internally, the root imparts a deep tinge to the urine.)
The root gave emodin, emodin- 3-monomethyl ether, chrysophanol, aloe-emodin, rhein. These occur free and as quinone, anthrone or dianthrone glycosides. The astringent principle consists of gallic acid together with small amounts of tannin. The drug also contain cinnamic and rhe- inolic acids, volatile oil, starch and calcium oxalate. Two major glyco- sidic active principles, sennoside A and B, are present along with free an- thraquinones.At low doses, the tannin exerts astringent effect and relieves diarrhoea; at higher doses anthraquinones stimulate laxative effect and relieve constipation. (Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.)There are three main types of rhubarbs—Chinese, Indian or Himalayan, and Rhapontic.The Chinese rhubarb consists of the rhizomes and roots of Rheum palma- tum and R. officinale.The Indian rhubarb consists of dried rhizomes of R. emodi and R. web- bianum; rhizomes and roots of R. moorcroftianum and R. spiciforme are also reported to be mixed with the drug. R. rhaponticum is the Rhapontic rhubarb.Rheum moorcroftianum Royle (the Himalayas at altitudes of 3,0005,200 m., chiefly in Garhwal and Ku- maon) possesses properties similar to those of R. emodi and the roots are mixed with the latter.Rheum spiciforme Royle (drier ranges of Kumaon and Sikkim at altitudes of 2,700-4,800 m.) also possesses purgative properties. The rhizomes and roots are mixed up with Himalayan rhubarb.Rheum webbianum Royle (the western and central Himalayas at altitudes of 3,000-5,000 m.) is the source of Himalayan rhubarb.Rheum palmatum is esteemed as the best type of (Chinese) rhubarb. Two new stilbene glycosides, 4'-O- methylpiceid and rhapontin, isolated from the roots, exhibited moderate alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Anthraquinone glucoside, pul- matin, isolated from the roots, along with its congeners, chrysophanein and physcionin, showed cytotoxic activity against several types of carcinoma cells. Polysaccharides, isolated from the roots and rhizomes, contained lyx- ose, glucose, galactose, xylose, rham- nose, mannose and ribose.Dosage: Root—0.2-1.0 g powder. (CCRAS.)... rheum emodiHabitat: Western Himalayas, Kashmir at Sonamarg at 2,4002,700 m.
English: Common Valerian.Action: Rhizome and roots— sedative, hypotensive, cardiotonic; depressant on CNS, antispasmodic; used for hysteria, neurosis, nervousness, hypochondriasis.
The roots and rhizomes yielded alkaloids—dipyridylmethylketone, ac- tinidine, iso-valeramide and valerian- ine; sesquiterpene ketone-valeranone. Bornyl acetate is the major constituent of the root oil, 31.5%, whereas it is only 6.6% in leaf oil. Bornyl isovalerate is reported from the root oil.Baalaka is a confusing synonym of Tagara. It should be equated with Pavo- nia odorata Willd. (Malvaceae).Baalaka (syns: Ambu, Baala, Barhi- shtha, Hrivera, Jala, Kacha, Muurd- haja, Udichi, Udichya) is known as Sugandhabaalaa in Northern markets. In South India Coleus vettiveroides K. C. Jacob (Labiateae) is preferred as Baalaka. Delphinium brunonianum Royle (Ranunculaceae), with synonyms Kutila, Nata, Vakra, is also used as Tagara.Valeriana leschenaultii DC. var. brunoniana C. B. Clarke.Family: Valerianaceae.Habitat: The temperate Himalayas from Kashmir to Bhutan at altitudes of 1,200-3,60 m and in the Khasi and Jaintia hills between 1,500 and 1,800 m.
Folk: Sugandhabaalaa, Tagger, Taggar-ganthodaa. Asaarun (Ku- maon).Action: Used as V. jatamansi and V officinalis.
Valeriana hardwickii is known as Taggar-ganthodaa in Mumbai and Asaarun in Kumaon. In Unani medicine, Asaarun is equated with Asarum europaeum Linn. (Aristolochiaceae). It is known as Subul-e-barri, Naardin- barri and Persian Tagar; Wild Nard, Hazel Wort and Asarabacca in English. Though sedative and brain tonic, Asaarun should not be equated with Tagara.Family: Valerianaceae.Habitat: Karnakata and the Nilgiris.
Ayurvedic: Tagara (related species).Folk: Sugandhabaalaa, Taggar, Baalaka.Action: Used as a substitute for valerian.... valeriana dubia
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