Indian Pennywort.

Muthil or Kudangal 

Name in English : Indian PENNYwort.

Name in Malayalam : Kudangal, Muthil,

Name in different Indian language : Karinthakali, Karimuthil, Kudangal, Centella , Pindari, Chandaki, Yochanavalli, Arthaniyaieyanthi, Tholkuri, Thankuni, Brahmamandhooki, Kurivana.

               This plant seen every where in the paddy Field in our village. It is the best natural tonic for boost the memory power. Take two leaf daily in empty stomach. The green leaf smell as fresh carrot. This also good for Heart health. . It help to cure Hypattatis B +ve to -Ve. It is a main content of “Mandookaparnyadi Rasayanam”- an Ayurveda medicine for developing memory power & brain power – in Ashtangahridayam.In SiddaVaidya there is a book published especially for Indian PENNYwort. The entire book -Vallareprabhavabodhini- explains the miracle properties of this plant.The leaf extract of this plant strengthen the nerve system of the brain.

The leaves are used in Ayurvedic preparations. Mandookaparni is used as a Medhya Rasayana Ayurveda uses it for skin and mental conditions. In many parts of India, it is used as a substitute for Brahmi. Nootropic and immunomodulatory activities are observed and established through various clinical researches. When compared this with Brahmi, it showed similar action. It is also used for cardiac care, cough expectoration, polyurea and helps to improve lactation in.

              The stems are slender, creeping stolons, green to reddish green in color, interconnecting one plant to another. It has long-stalked, green, reniform leaves with rounded apices which have smooth texture with palmately netted veins. The leaves are borne on pericladial petioles, around 2 cm. The rootstock consists of rhizomes, growing vertically down. They are creamish in color and covered with root hairs.The flowers are pinkish to red in color, born in small, rounded bunches near the surface of the soil. Each flower is partly enclosed in two green bracts. The hermaphrodite flowers are minute in size with 5-6 corolla lobes per flower. Each flower bears five stamens and two styles. The fruit are densely reticulate, distinguishing it from species of Hydrocotyle which have smooth, ribbed or warty fruit.

The crop matures in three months and the whole plant, including the roots, is harvested manually.

CHITTAMRITH

CHITTAMRITH

Name in English      : Giloe, Hear- Leaved Moon seed

Scientific Name        : Tinospora cordifolia

Name in Malayalam : Chittamrith, AmrUth

Name in different Indian language : Indian Koyinav ( Indian kinaine), Vayastha, Jevanthi, Bishkpriya, Gulooji, Chinnarooham, Amrithavalli, Somavalli, Madhuparni.

The plant is known as the Paracetamol of Ayurveda. The name “Amruth” means it defeat the death. It is a main content of ayurvedic medicine “Amritharishtam”.This plant seen everywhere in the village. It is mainly used to control Fever. It reduce the heavy fever and maintain and control the heat of the body. It is good medicine against blood cancer. It is good for the treatment of AIDS. The use of the plant develope the immune power of AIDS patient.

The plant seen in two varieties. One is Small leaf variety . It has Assimilatary roots, the flower is yellow and fruits are red. . Another is wild variety ( Tylophora Malabarica) and the wild one have the bigger leaf. Normally the small leaf variety is used in medicinal purpose.It is also a good Rejuvenator & good to control Blood sugar.many researchers found Tippa Teega is mostly helpful to control blood sugar level in Diabetes. It also helps to check in Fevers like Malaria, Dengue, Typhoid. Just Chewing 1-2 leaves of Tippa Teega in the early morning and in the evening should bring down the blood sugar levels in diabetes. According to the study conducted by United States Dispensary in 1918, this plant has a long history in using as a medicine for many Diseases in India especially for Diabetes.

Medicinal uses of Tippa teega  

Fever:  A spoon of dried powder of Tinospora Cordifolia (Guduchi/Amrutavalli/Tippa Teega) with a spoon of honey or water, twice a day will helps in curing the fever.

Hepatitis: Tinospora cordifolia, well known as Guduchi (Tippateega ) is a herbal medicine as a hepatoprotectant, which protect the liver from damage that caused by toxins, and also from Hepatitis ( Jaundice).

Swine Flu: Tippa teega is commonly known as Giloi, taking the juice of Giloi leaves ( Tippa teega) upto  100 to 150 ml.  Will prevents the Swine Flu and also improves the resistance power of the body and cures several Health problems.

Fat Burner: Triphala Churnam if combined with Tippa Teega powder in equal quantities and taken in morning and evening one hour the before Meals for 40 days, that will burn the excess Fat in the body.

Medicinal properties: This plant is having medicinal properties like Cure Diabetes, anti-periodic, anti-spasmodic, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, anti-oxidant, anti-allergic, anti-stress, anti-leprotic, anti-malarial, hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory and anti-neoplastic activities. It contains alkaloids, glycosides and steroids.

Krishna Tulasi

KRISHNA TULASI

               Tulasi has been used for thousands of years in Ayurveda for its diverse healing properties. It is mentioned in theCharaka Samhita, an ancient Ayurvedic text. Tulsi is considered to be an adaptogen, balancing different processes in the body, and helpful for adapting to stress. Marked by its strong aroma and astringent taste, it is regarded in Ayurveda as a kind of "elixir of life" and believed to promote longevity. Tulasi extracts are used in ayurvedic remedies for a variety of ailments. Traditionally, tulasi is taken in many forms: as herbal tea, dried powder, fresh leaf or mixed with ghee. Essential oil extracted from Karpoora tulasi is mostly used for medicinal purposes and in herbal cosmetics, and is widely used in skin preparations and for fever, colds and infections.

      Tulsi is considered to be highly sacred in the Hindu religion. Most of the Hindus offer daily prayers to Tulsi Devi. But, not many people are aware about the origin of Tulasi plant. Well, there are many interesting legends about Tulsi. There is a famous legend about Krishna Tulsi, which suggests that Tulsi was the incarnation of a gopi, who was deeply in love with Lord Krishna.

               The Indian herbal plant Tulsi has a lot of significance in the Hindu religion. The term “Tulsi” is used in the context of one who is absolutely incomparable. Tulsi has a lot of reverence for the Hindus. Infact, people worship Tulsi everyday in the morning as well as evening time. This Indian basil basically grows in the warm and tropical regions. There are two main varieties of this aromatic plant, namely Shyama tulsi and Rama tulsi. Well, out of the two, the former one is of greater medicinal value. Rama Tulsi, on the hand, is primarily used for worship.

Nutmeg (Jathikka)

NUTMEG

                  Nutmeg tree is any of several species of trees in genus Myristica. It is important for two spices derived from the fruit: nutmeg and mace. The common or fragrant nutmeg, Myristica fragrans, native to the Banda Islands of Indonesia, is also grown in Penang Island in Malaysia and the Caribbean, especially in Grenada. It also grows in Kerala, a state in southern India. Nutmeg and mace have similar sensory qualities, with nutmeg having a slightly sweeter and mace a more delicate flavour. Mace is often preferred in light dishes for the bright orange, saffron-like hue it imparts. Nutmeg is used for flavouring many dishes, usually in ground or grated form, and is best grated fresh in a nutmeg grater.

            Nutmeg is a small package with several big benefits. It’s used for prevention and healing of many known conditions. Here are some most common uses of nutmeg:

Ø  Medically, nutmeg has strong antibacterial properties. It is effective in killing a number of cavity-causing bacteria in the mouth.

Ø  Like cloves, nutmeg contains eugenol, a compound that may benefit the heart.

Ø  Myristicin found in nutmeg has been shown to inhibit an enzyme in the brain that contributes to Alzheimer’s disease and is used to improve memory.

Ø  It is used in small dosages to reduce flatulence [excessive stomach or intestinal gas], aid digestion and improve appetite.

Ø  In Arab countries, nutmeg is valued as an aphrodisiac [substance believed to increase sexual desire].

Ø  Nutmeg can help to combat asthma.

Ø  It is also used to relax muscles.

Ø  Nutmeg contains 10 per cent essential oil which is a colourless or light yellow liquid. The oil is obtained by the steam distillation of ground nutmeg. Besides being used in toothpastes, cough syrups, perfumes and cosmetic industry, externally nutmeg oil is mixed with almond oil and is used to relieve rheumatic pain.

Ø  Nutmeg oil is used to treat toothaches. Drops of essential oil are put on cotton swab and applied to the gums around an aching tooth, sometimes also used to control bad breath.

Ø  Drops of nutmeg oil can also be mixed with honey to treat nausea, gastroenteritis, chronic diarrhoea and indigestion.

Ø  In homoeopathy, nutmeg is used to treat anxiety and depression.

Ø  In Chinese medicine, it is used to treat impotence and liver disease.

Pomegranate

Pomegranate

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           The pomegranate botanical name punica granatum is a fruit-bearing decudous shrub or small tree growing between 5-8 meters tall. In the Indian subcontinent's ancient Ayurveda system of medicine, the pomegranate has extensively been used as a source of traditional remedies. The rind of the fruit and the bark of the pomegranate tree is used as a traditional remedy against diarrhea, dysentery and intestinal parasites. The seeds and juice are considered a tonic for the heart and throat, and classified as having bitter-astringent taste plus a range of taste from sweet to sour, depending on ripeneness. Thus Pomegranate is considered a healthful counterbalance to a diet high in sweet-fatty components.  Sweet, pomegranate fruit is nourishing for systems and is known as a blood builder. The astringent qualities of the flower juice, rind and tree bark are considered valuable for a variety of purposes, such as stopping nose bleeds and gum bleeds, toning skin, (after blending with mustard oil) firming-up sagging breasts, and treating hemorrhoids. Pomegranate juice) is also used as an eye drop, as it is believed to slow the development of cataracts. Pomegranate has been used as a contraceptive and abortifacient by means of consuming the seeds, or rind, as well as by using the rind as a vaginal suppository. This practice is recorded in ancient Indian literature, in medieval sources, and in modern folk medicine.

Vinca Flower (Shavamnari poo)

Vinca Flower (Shavamnari poo)

Vinca Rose is a charming, evergreen shrub, bearing pink or white slaver form flower. It is a native plant of southeastern and eastern Madagascar. After the invasion of European colonist the plant achieved world recognition because of its ornamental property. It can also grow in the tropical and subtropical regions. Vinca Rose has waxed, glossy covering leaves, which is oval or oblong in shape and oppositely arranged in pairs, with a pale midrib and a short petiole. The flowers usually have five petals like loves. It grows very well in infertile and well drained soil but has the chances of dying if the soil is too fertile or healthy. Occasional pinching of the bud is necessary for full growth and branching. It doesn’t need dead heading as the flower drops off after it completes blooming. It is very helpful for the treatment of Leukemia occurring in children. It is prone to the infection of Phytoplasmas which reduces the growth of the leaf.Vinca plants have slender trailing stems 1–2 m (3–6 feet) long but not growing more than 20–70 cm (8-30 inches) above ground; the stems frequently take root where they touch the ground, enabling the plant to spread widely. The leaves are opposite, simple broad lance late to ovate, 1–9 cm  long and 0.5–6 cm broad; they are evergreen in four species, but deciduous in the herbaceous  which dies back to the root system in winter. The flowers, produced through most of the year, are salver form simple, 2.5–7 cm broad, with five usually violet petals joined together at the base to form a tube. The fruit consists of a pair of divergent follicles; a dry fruit which is dehiscent along one rupture site in order to release seeds.

Vinca rose belongs to family Apocynaceae. It s medicinal uses have been discovered in the recent times. The common names of the herb are Periwinkle, Sadabahar, Madagascar Periwinkle and Rosy Periwinkle. The herb mostly grows in waste lands and sandy places. Roots and leaves are used in medicines. The herb has various medicinal importance. It contains various alkaloids which are sedative, hypertensive, tranquilizer and anti-cancerous.

Medicinal Uses of Vinca rose

The herb has following medicinal properties:

• Anti-carcinogenic – The herb has two anti-carcinogenic compounds such as vincristine and vinblastine which have been found to be effective in the cure of various types of cancers.

• Anti-diabetic – The herb is also effective in the treatment of diabetes as it has the property to lower the blood sugar.

• Hypotensive – Vinca lowers the blood pressure in high blood pressure patients.

• Sedative – The herb has calming properties and also relieves from the depression like symptoms.

• Tranquilizer – Vinca relieves anxiety, thus it has tranquilizing properties.

 Caution for Vinca rose

• The herb should not be administered self.

• Pregnant women should avoid taking this herb.

ELEPHANT YAM FLOWER

ELEPHANT YAM FLOWER

                        This is the flower of elephant yam. It gives bad smell during flowering.Elephant yam is a striking aroid with a flower spike crowned with a bulbous maroon knob and encircled by a fleshy maroon and green-blotched bract. The solitary leaf, which emerges after the flowering parts, resembles a small tree. Elephant yam has been in cultivation throughout tropical Asia for centuries. It has been widely transported by humans and easily escapes from cultivation to become naturalized, so that its natural distribution is not clear. Perennial herb. A single inflorescences produced, followed by a solitary leaf. After the growing season, this dies back to an underground storage organ . Tuber Dark brown, flattened-globe-shaped, up to 50 × 30 cm with prominent root scars. Weighing up to about 15 kg. Leaves usually one per tuber. Petiole  up to 2 m tall and 20 cm in diameter with rough, warty surface. Background colour pale to dark green or blackish-green with pale blotches and numerous tiny dark dots. Leaf blade up to 3 m in diameter and deeply divided into segments. Leaflets up to 35 × 12 cm.Spadix Up to 70 cm long. The lowermost portion of the spadix is female and is covered with pistils Each pistil consists of a pale green or maroon ovary with a maroon stalk and two- or three-lobed yellow head .The next floral zone is male and contains tightly-packed yellowish stamens. At the tip of the spadix is a bulbous, dark maroon, rounded to deeply wrinkled appendix. Spathe  Bell-shaped, broader than long, up to 45 × 60 cm, pale green to dark brown with paler blotches on exterior. Opening outwards to form a frilled, glossy maroon, collar-like structure around the spadix. Basal portion of interior pale green-yellow. Elephant yam is widely cultivated for its edible tubers, which are an important source of carbohydrate in India and Indonesia and a valued secondary crop throughout tropical Asia. It can be found on sale further afield (including Hounslow, not far from Kew in the UK) in international food markets. Elephant yam has medicinal properties and is used in many Ayurvedic (traditional Hindu) preparations. The tubers are considered to have pain-killing, anti-inflammatory, anti-flatulence, digestive, aphrodisiac, rejuvenating and tonic properties. They are traditionally used in the treatment of a wide range of conditions including parasitic worms, inflammation, coughs, flatulence, constipation, anemia, hemorrhoids and fatigue.