(Hindi) Resembling a spring of water Zarnah, Zarnia, Zarniah
Habitat: The subtropical Himalayas, Khasi and Jaintia Hills.
English: Indian Cassia, Lignea.Ayurvedic: Tejapatra, Patra, Patraka, Utkat, Tamaalpatra, Naalukaa, Naalikaa.Unani: Saleekhaa, Saazaj Hindi (Also equated with Zarnab/Telispattar by National Formulary of Unani Medicine, Part I.)Siddha/Tamil: Talishpattiri (now equated with the leaf of Abies webbiana); Lavangappattiri.Folk: Tejpaata.Action: Leaf—Carminative, antidiarrhoeal, spasmolytic, an- tirheumatic, hypoglycaemic. Essential oil—fungicidal.
The oil from bark contains cin- namaldehyde (70-85%) as major constituent. (See.C.cassia.) Leaves from Nepal yield a volatile oil, containing mainly linalool 54.66%; cinnamalde- hyde 1.16%, alpha-and beta-pinene, p- cymene and limonene.Cinnamomum wighti Meissn. is also equated with Tejapatra. The bud, known as Sirunaagappoo in Siddha/ Tamil, is used as Naagakeshara (black var.). (Naagakeshara is obtained from Mesuaferra and Dilleniapentagyne.)C. impressinervium Meissn. (Sik- kim) and C. obtusifolium (Roxb.) Nees (the Central and Eastern Himalayas up to 2,100 m, Assam and Andaman Islands) are related species of Cinnamo- mum.The leaves and bark contain cin- namaldehyde.Dosage: Dried leaves—1-3 g powder. (API Vol. I.)... cinnamomum tamalaHabitat: Bengal, Assam, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Eastern Ghats.
English: Puneala Plum.Ayurvedic: Praachinaamalaka, Paaniyaamalaka. (Taalispatri (Hindi), Taalispatra (Gujarati), Taalisam (Malyalaam), Taalispatramu (Tel- ugu) are confusing synonyms of Paaniyaamalaka.)Unani: Taalisfar, Nabaq Hindi, Zarnab. In National Formulary of Unani Medicine, Zarnab, synonym Telispattar, is equated with F. catapracta, also with Cinnamonum tamala Nees. (Zarnab is also equated with Salix aegyptiaca Sprengel and Taalisfar with Rhododendron anthapogon D. Don or R. lipidotum by Unani scholars.)Siddha/Tamil: Saralu, Vayangarai.Folk: Paniyaalaa (Bihar).Action: Leaves—astringent, antidiarrhoeal, stomachic. Used in chronic bronchitis. Fruit—used in affections of the liver. Bark and fruit—antibilious. Infusion of bark is used as a gargle. Fruits contain (dry basis) protein 3.9%; vitamin C 218, Ca 175, K 158, P 147, Fe 118, Mg 57 mg/100 g. The fruit stem bark and bark yielded a coumarin, ostruthin, and limonoids, jangomolide and limonin.
(Taalisha, Taalisam, Taalisapatri, Taalisapatra—all the synonyms are now equated with Abies spectabilis (D. Don) Spach., synonym A. webbiana Lindl., Pinus webbiana Wall.)... flacourtia jangomasHabitat: Temperate Himalayas, Khasi Hills and Manipur.
English: European Yew. Himalayan Yew is equated with Taxus wal- lichiana Zucc., synonym T. baccata Linn. subspecies wallichiana (Zucc.) Pilgoe, T. baccata Hook. f.Ayurvedic: Thunera, Sthauneya, Sthauneyaka, Shukapushpa, Dhaatri-patra, Vikarna. (Not a substitute for Taalisapatra.)Unani: Zarnab.Siddha/Tamil: Taaleespatri Bhedam.Folk: Birmi, Thuno.Action: Herb—CNS depressant; reduces motor activity; analgesic, anticonvulsant. Leaf used in nervousness, epilepsy, hysteria, asthma, chronic bronchitis. Leaf and fruit—antispasmodic, sedative, emmenagogue.
Berry—used in chronic bronchitis. Taxol—antimitotic; also being tried for the treatment of severe drug-resistant human malaria. (Chem Abstr, 1994, 21, 124674 j.) (The taxol content in Himalayan Yew varied with season and location from 0.045-0.130%.)The needles contain diterpene esters of taxane-type (mixture is known as taxine 0.6-2.0%). Taxine consists of 11 compounds of which only tax- ine A and B have been characterized. Taxol, the diterpene amide, is found active against ovarian cancer in humans. (clinical results showed 24-30% response). The ester alkaloids in higher doses are cardiotoxic.Dried needles contain biflavonoids, including sotetsuflavone, sequoifla- vone, sciadopitysin, ginkgetin, kayafla- vone, amentoflavone, beta-sitosterol, heptacosanol and surcose.The needles gave several phenolics. Betuloside (rhododendron) exhibited hepatoprotective activity against hepa- totoxins in rats.The seeds are poisonous and contain taxine.The aqueous extract of leaves showed a depressant effect on the central nervous system in rats.The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia ofIn- dia attributed antirheumatic, anticatar- rhal, insecticidal and wound-healing properties to the dried needles of Himalayan Yew and indicated the use of the drug in powder form (1-3 g) in disorders due to vitiated blood, tumours, dermatosis and helminthiasis.Dosage: Leaf—1-3 g powder. (API, Vol. III.) Leaf, bark—3-5 g powder. (CCRAS.)... taxus baccata
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