Herbal Science

Herbal Garden Part 3

KALMEGH

Common Name: Kalmegh, Hara Chirayata

English Name: The Creat.

 

It is an annual herbaceous of shrubby procumbent or erect plant up to one m high. The branches are sharply quadrangular, often narrowly winged towards the apical region. Leaves petiolate, 5.8 cm long and 1-1.25 cm broad, lance late, acute. Flowers small, solitary in panicles, with rose color corolla, which is hairy externally. Parts used: Whole Plant. Major Constituents: The major bitter principle is a diterpene lactones called and andrographolide and non-bitter compound neo andro graph oiled. Uses: The plant is extensively used in Indian Systems of Medicine for astringent, anodyne, anit-inflammatory, immunosuppressive and alexipharmic properties. Decoction fo the plant is blood purifier, used for cure of torpid liver, jaundice, dermatological diseases, dyspepsia, febrifuge and anthelminitic. Tincture of the root is tonic, stimulant and aperients. The plant is often usedas substitute of chirayita (Swertia chirayita).

LEMON GRASS

Common Name: Nibu ghas.

English Name: Malabar grass, East Indian lemon grass.

 

Erect grass up to 3m tall. Leaf linear, acuminate, glucose. Spat hate panicle large, loose. Sessile spiketet 4.5-5mm long. Lower glumes 2-keeled from the middle upwards, wings on the keels glabrous, margin of the keel minutely toothed, upper glumes boat shaped. Pedicelled spikiest male of neuter. Parts Used: Aerial parts, source of essential oil. Major Constituents: Major chemical constituents of East Indian lemon grass is citral; minor constituents are: linalool, geranial, citronellal, neural, 1.8 cineol, linayl acetate etc. West Indian lemongrass contains curtail-a and citral-b Mycenae” minor constituents are a pinned, philandered, citronellal acetate geranial etc. Uses: Oil of the plant is used in soenting detergents, washing soaps and other home products.

MARIGOLD

Common Name: Wild marigold

English Name: Stinking Roger

 

Aromatic grooved annual herb. Leaves opposite or alternate, often both types of same plant odd pinnate, 5-15 cm long: leaflets usually 13-17, linear lance late. Sharply serrate. Heads yellowish many crowded together in dusters at the end of branches. Parts Used: Whole plants Major Constituents: the major components essential oil are: (Z) B-ocimene (38.77%) dihydrotaget one (9.07%). (Z) B-tag tone (7%) (Z) ocimene (7%) and (E) ocimenone (13%) Uses: The whole plant is hydro-distilled for its essential oil. The oil is widely used in the perfumer, pharmaceutical and agricultural industries

MENTHOL MINT

Common Name: Japanese mint, Menthol mint etc.

English Name: Japanese mint, Menthol mint etc.

 

A perennial creeping ascending herb propagated by its suckers. Leaves lance late-oblong, sharply toothed. Rower in auxiliary and terminal vertical laster, whitish purplish. Seeds minute. Smooth. Parts Used: Aerial shoots, source of essential oil. Major Constituents: Major constituents are menthol, other are menthol and methyl acetate. Uses: Menthol is generally used in flavorings toothpaste. Candies, mouth washes, chewing gum, beverages, confectiories and also in cosmetic preparation. Menthol is also used in medicines like pain balm, analgesic creams and couth syrups etc.

MILK THISTLE

Common Name: Chund

English Name: St. Mary’s thistle, Milk thistle. Holy thistle

 

An armed erect annual under shrubs. Leaves up to 30 cm long. Lower pinnatifid, presciently dentate. Base amplexicaul with rounded auricles, upper smaller and sessile. Heads homogenous terminal solitary. Involucres bracts 4-6 seriate: outer ovate-lance late ending into a long apical spine: inner lanceolate. Acute, usually spine tipped. Achene’s black, with an apical rim. Parts used : seeds Major Constituents : seeds contain a number of flavonolignans silybin and silymarin. Uses: Silmarin has marked antihepatotoxic properties and used in the preparations of the drug for liver cirrhosis and jaundice.