Roxb.
Family: Salicaceae.
Habitat: Throughout the greater part of India, along the banks of rivers and streams.
English: Indian Willow.
Ayurvedic: Jalavetasa, Naadeya, Niketan, Baishi.
Siddha/Tamil: Attupalai.
Folk: Vaanira, Vaalunja.
Action: Dried leaves—antiinflammatory, given in rheumatism, swellings, piles. Bark—febrifuge.
The bark is reported to contain 6.5% tannin, also salicin A.
Linn.
Family: Salicaceae.
Habitat: North-western Himalayas, up to an altitude of 2,400 m.
English: White Willow, European Willow.
Ayurvedic: Jalavetasa.
Unani: Bed Saadaa.
Folk: Vivir (Kashmir).
Action: Analgesic, antiinflammatory, febrifuge. Used for rheumatic inflammation, painful muscles, spondylitis, lumbago, sciatica, neuralgia, gout and fever. (In 1838, chemists identified salicylic acid in the bark. Afterwards, synthesized it as acetylsalicylic acid, aspirin, in 1899.)
Key application: In diseases accompanied by fever, headache, rheumatic ailments. (German Commission E.) The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia reported anti- inflammatory action. The British Herbal Compendium additionally reported analgesic, antipyretic, antirheumatic and astringent actions of the willow bark.
The bark contains phenolic glyco- sides; salicin, picein and triandrin with esters of salicylic acid and salicyl alcohol, acetylated salicin, salicortin and salireposide; tannins; catechin; p- coumaric acid; flavonoids and polysac- charides.
Salicylic acid inhibits prostaglandin production, relives pain and brings down fever.... salix alba
Linn.
Family: Salicaceae.
Habitat: Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
English: Sallow, Goat Willow, Common Willow.
Ayurvedic: Vetasa, Vaanira, Vidula, Vanjula, Vaanjulaa. In Kerala Homonoia riparia Lour., Euphorbiaceae, is used as Vetasa or Jalavetasa.
Unani: Bed Mushk.
Action: Distilled water from flowers—cordial, stimulant; externally applied to headache. Stem and leaves—astringent. Leaves—decoction used as febrifuge. Bark and twigs—astringent, applied to piles. Ash of wood—used in haemoptysis; mixed with vinegar, applied to piles.
Alkaloids, glycosides and saponins of male racemes increase the amplitude and slow the heartbeat and act more rapidly than digitalis on isolated frog heart.
Flavonoids present in the male racemes are: diometin, isorhamnetin, cap- reoside and salicapreoside.
Phenol glycosides present in the bark are: delphinidin, cyanidin, pipe- colic acid, fragilin, picein, salicin, sal- icortin, salireproside, triandrin and vimalin. Tannin content is reported to be 8-13%.
Salix daphnoides Vill. and Salix ele- gans Wall. (The Himalayas from Kash mir to Nepal) are also known as Jalave- tasa.
Dosage: Leaf, bark, root—50- 100 ml decoction. (CCRAS.)... salix caprea