The meaning of the symbols of plum seen in a dream.

Another name for LEAD POISONING.... plumbism

Hypochromic ANAEMIA and di?culty in swallowing due to an oesophageal web.... plummer-vinson syndrome

Flacourtia inermis

Description: This shrub or small tree has dark green, alternate, simple leaves. Its fruits are bright red and contain six or more seeds.

Habitat and Distribution: This plant is a native of the Philippines but is widely cultivated for its fruit in other areas. It can be found in clearings and at the edges of the tropical rain forests of Africa and Asia.

Edible Parts: Eat the fruit raw or cooked.... batoko plum

Jacq.

Synonym: Duranta repens Linn.

Family: Verbenaceae.

Habitat: Cultivated as a hedge plant.

Folk: Durantaa.

Action: Antifungal (topically).

The leaves contain a saponin and fruits an alkaloid analogous to narco- tine. Macerated fruits, which even in dilutions of 1 : 100 parts of water, is lethal to mosquito larvae (the action is less marked on Culicine larvae.... duranta plumieri

Thunb.

Synonym: P. auriculata Lam.

Family: Plumbaginaceae.

Habitat: Native to South Africa; grown in gardens in India.

Ayurvedic: Nila-chitraka (blue- flowered var.). (Bears pale-blue flowers.)

Action: See P. zeylanica.... plumbago capensis

Linn.

Synonym: P. rosea Linn.

Family: Plumbaginaceae.

Habitat: Indigenous to Sikkim and khasi hills, grown in Indian gardens.

English: Rose-coloured Leadwort.

Ayurvedic: Rakta-chitraka (red- flowered var.).

Siddha/Tamil: Chittramoolam.

Action: See P. zeylanica. P indica is preferred in West Bengal and Kerala. Both P. indica and P. zeylanica contain about 0.9 plumbagin.... plumbago indica

Linn.

Family: Plumbaginaceae.

Habitat: Cultivated in gardens throughout India; also found wild in Peninsular India.

English: Ceylon Leadwort, Leadwort.

Ayurvedic: Chitraka, Agni, Vahni, Jvalanaakhya, Krshaanu, Hutaasha, Dahana, Sikhi.

Unani: Sheetraj Hindi. Siddha/Tamil: Chittramoolam.

Action: Root—intestinal flora normalizer, stimulates digestive processes; used for dyspepsia. Root paste is applied in order to open abscesses; a paste prepared with milk, vinegar or salt and water, is used externally in leprosy and other obstinate skin diseases. A cold infusion is used for influenza and black-water fever.

Key application: In sprue, malabsorption syndrome, piles and inflammatory diseases of ano-rectum. (The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India.)

The root yielded naphthoquinone derivatives, plumbagin being the most important active principle.

The root extract, after processing for plumbagin enhancement, has been used in a number of drug formulations for liver ailments. Experimentally, plumbagin prevented the accumulation of triglycerides in liver and aorta and regressed atheromatous plaques and abdominal aorta. The chloroform extract of the root showed significant activity against pencillin-resistant (also non-pencillin resistant) strains of Neisseria gonorrhoea. (The root is used for treating sexually transmitted diseases in traditional Indian medicine.)

In Siddha medicine, in Tamil Nadu, the plant is an ingredient in a number of drug formulations for treating cancers of the uterus, breast, lungs and oral cavity, in addition to haemorrhoids.

Plumbagin is abortifacient, antiovu- latory; causes selective testicular lesions in dogs; in lower doses it behaves like a spindle poison, in higher concentration exhibits radiomimetic nu- cleotoxic and cytotoxic effects.

Dosage: Detoxified root—1-2 g powder. (API, Vol. I.)... plumbago zeylanica

Love... plumeria

Difficulty in swallowing due to webs of tissue forming across the upper oesophagus. The syndrome often occurs with severe iron-deficiency anaemia and affects middle-aged women.... plummer–vinson syndrome

a hyperfunctioning, usually benign, *adenoma of the thyroid gland, which can be palpated and appears as a ‘hot nodule’ on radioactive thyroid scanning. Treatment is to control the nodule with antithyroid drugs and then remove it surgically or destroy it permanently with radioactive iodine. [H. S. Plummer (1874–1937), US physician]... plummer’s disease

Ait.

Family: Apocynaceae.

Habitat: Native to Mexico; cultivated in Indian gardens.

English: Pagoda tree.

Action: Root bark—used in herpes, sexually transmitted diseases. Bark—stimulant, emmenagogue. Root—violent cathartic. Latex— purgative, rubefacient.

Iridoids are present in the leaf, stem, flower and root. Plumieride glucoside has been isolated from all parts of the plant. The plumeric acid, isolated from leaves, exhibits promising cytotoxic activity.

Fulvoplumierin (a pigment) inhibits the growth of various strains of My- cobacterium tuberculosis.... plumeria acuminata

Linn.

Family: Apocynaceae.

Habitat: Native to West Indies; cultivated in Indian gardens.

English: White Champa.

Ayurvedic: Kshira Champaka (white-flowered var.).

Siddha/Tamil: Perumal Arali, Seemai Arali.

Action: Root bark—used in blenn- orrhagia. Bark and latex—used externally in herpes, syphilitic ulcers and scabies. Seed—haemostatic.

The root gave iridoids—iso-plu- mericin, plumericin, plumieride, plu- mieride coumarate and its glucoside. The bark gave alpha-and beta-amyrin and their acetates, beta-sitosterol, sco- poletin and plumieride. The flowers also contain plumieride coumarate and its glucoside, in addition to quercetin derivatives.... plumeria alba

Linn.

Family: Apocynaceae.

Habitat: Native to Mexico; grown throughout India.

English: Red Jasmine.

Ayurvedic: Kshira Champaka (red-flowered var.).

Action: Root bark—used in blennorrhagia. Flower—bechic (used in pectoral syrups). Bark— a decoction is used in venereal diseases and leprosy.

The bark contains cytotoxic iridoids (including fulvoplumierin which also inhibits the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis) and the lignin, lirioden- drin.

The plant contains the triterpene rubrinol which showed antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa (a causative agent responsible for infecting burns, wounds, urinary tract and infection in cystic fibrosis) and Pseudomonas pseu- domallei (which causes melioidosis or pseudoglandess).

The herb contains cardiac glycosides which have a narrow-margin of safety. (Sharon M. Herr.)... plumeria rubra