Botanical
Name :Gmelina arboria
Family :Verbenaceae
English
Name :
Sanskrit
Names : Bhadraparni, Sri parni, Maduparnika,
Kaśmari, Kaśmīri, Hīra,
Kaśmarya, Pītarohini, Krushnavrunta,
Madurasa, Mahakusumika.
Singhalese
Name : Atdemata / ඇත්දෙමට
Other Names :Bengali (gamari,gumbar,gumhar,gomari,gamar); Burmese (mai
saw,yemari,yemane,yemani); English (white teak,yemane,Malay
beechwood,Kashmir tree,Candahar tree,beechwood,goomar
teak,gmelina); French (melina,gmelina,peuplier d Afrique); German
(Gumar-Teak); Gujarati (shewan); Hindi
(gomari,gumhar,gambhar,sewan,kambhari); Nepali
(gamari,khamari,gambari,gumhari); Sanskrit
(bhadraparni,gambhari,gandhari,shriparni,kasmari); Spanish
(melina,gmelina); Tamil (perungumpil,gumadi,kumadi,umi-thekku); Thai
(so,so-maeo); Trade name (yemane,gumhar); Vietnamese (nghi [ees]n
d[aas]t,l[ox]I th[oj])
Morphology :
Gmelina arborea is an unarmed, moderately sized to large deciduous tree
with a straight trunk. It is wide spreading with numerous branches forming
a large shady crown, attains a height of 30 m or more and a diameter of
up to 4.5 m. Bark smooth, pale ashy-grey or grey to yellow with black
patches and conspicuous corky circular lenticels. Inside surface of bark
rapidly turns brown on exposure and exfoliates into thick woody plates or
scurfy flakes. Blaze pale orange and mottled with a darker orange colour.
Leaves opposite-decussate, mostly rather soft and limp; petioles
cylindrical, 5-15 cm long, puberulent or glabrous; leaf blades broadly
ovate, 10-25 cm x 7-20 cm wide, apically long acuminate or caudate,
entire on mature plants but strongly toothed or lobed on young plants,
usually cordate or trunkate basally, with a short cuneate attenuation into
the petiole, densely tomentose above when young, becoming glabrous
above when mature, permanently densely fulvulous-tomentellous with
stellate hairs beneath, glanduliferous just above the petiole on the basal
attenuation.
Flowers abundant, scented, reddish, brown or yellow, in terminal and
axillary 1- to-3-flowered cymes on the panicle branches, which are about 8-
40 cm long. Flower 2.5-5 cm in diameter; bracts 8 mm long, linear
lanceolate; calyx broadly campanulate, about 5 mm long, densely fulvoustomentose
externally, the rim with 5 small, triangular, acute teeth; corolla
large, showy, varying from yellow to orange or brilliant orange to reddishor
brownish-yellow, dull yellow-brown, tubular below, obliquely funnel-form
at the throat, the tube densely pubescent externally, the limb 2-lipped, the
upper lip often orange-pink, deeply divided into 2 oblong, obtuse,
backwardly curled lobules, the lower lip often lemon yellow, up to twice as
long as the upper and 3-lobed.
Fruit a drupe, 1.8-2.5 cm long, obovoid, seated on the enlarged calyx,
glossy and yellow when ripe; exocarp succulent and aromatic; endocarp
bony and usually 2-celled. Seeds 1-3, lenticular, exalbuminous.
Parts
used - root bark, fruit
Properties:
Rasa Kashaya, Tikta, Madhura,
Guna Guru
Veerya Ushna
Vipaka Madhura
Attributes / Karma:
Alleviate Tri-dosha
Promote appetite & digestion.
Brain tonic (mēdya). Analgesic.
Cures – constipation, vertigo, edema,
excessive thirst due to tridosha, āmadosa,
Hemorrhoids, toxicity, burning
sensation of the body, fever.
Fruits – nutritive tonic (vrunhana),
aphrodisiac (vrushya), rejuvenating (rasayana),
Cures – excessive thirst due to
Vata & Pitta. Rakta kshaya, aurea, heartburn,
Burning sensation of the body,
ratpitta (bleeding disorder), wounds, emaciation,
Medicinal uses:
External
·
Headache cause by fever – applied past of leaves
over the forehead.
·
Burning & pain – leaves are tied to the
affected parts.
·
Vatarakta (rumatoid arthritis) – oil made out of
roots & madūka (Glycerrhiza glabra) is used.
·
To develop breast – kept a tampon of oil derived
from gambhari juice.
Internal
·
Disurea, gonorrhea & cystitis – juice of
leaves are given along with cow’s milk & sugar
·
Threatened abortions (garbhapāta) – ripe fruit
juice with honey is given.
·
Post partum fever – decoction of root bark is
used.
Formulations:
Dasamularishta
Vruhat
pancamula kvata
