Evolvulus alsinoides (Dwarf Morning Glory)

Scientific Name: Evolvulus alsinoides

Family: Convolvulaceae (Morning glory family)

Common Names: Dwarf Morning Glory, Slender Dwarf Morning Glory, Visnukrantha, Shyamakrantha

This is a very slender, more or less branched, spreading or ascending, usually extremely hairy herb. The leaves, which are densely clothed with appressed, white, and silky hairs, are variable clothed, lanceolate to ovate; the apex is blunt with a little point and the base is pointed. The flowers are pale blue. The fruit (capsule) is rounded, and usually contains 4 seeds. Dwarf Morning Glory is native to the South America, and is widely naturalized all over the world, including India. 

Medicinal uses
- Infusion of entire plant used to cure irregularities of the bowels.

 In the Goa territory, whole plant used extensively as tonic and febrifuge.
- With cumin and milk, used for fevers, nervous debility and loss of memory; also used for syphilis and scrofula.
- In India, used with oil to promote hair growth.
- Roots used by Santals for intermittent fevers in children.
- In west tropical Africa, used as febrifuge, leprosy, pulmonary ailments, stomach troubles, vermifuge and for general healing.
- In Unani and Ayurveda traditional systems, used as nootropic or brain-tonic, used for memory loss, nervous debility, fever, epilepsy and immune disorders.
- Dried leaves rolled into cigarettes and smoked to treat bronchitis and asthma.
- Oil from the plant used to stimulate hair growth. 
- In Sri Lanka, roots and stem extract used for dysentery and depression.

  Leaves used for asthma and mental disturbances.
- In India, decoction of roots used for coughs and colds.
- In the old Sudanese Kingdom, used with other herbs as a charm to exorcise evil spirits causing disease. Women would burn the plant to fumigate the hut during puerperium and use a warm infusion as wash during the 40-day purification.

Ailanthus excelsa

Scientific Name: Ailanthus excelsa

Family: Simaroubaceae (Quassia family)

Common Names: Indian Tree of Heaven, Coramandel ailanto, Mahanimb, Maharukh

Indian Tree of Heaven is a large deciduous tree; trunk straight, bark light grey and smooth, becoming grey-brown and rough on large trees, aromatic, slightly bitter. Leaves alternate, pinnately compound, large; leaflets 8-14 or more pairs, long stalked, ovate or broadly lance shaped from very unequal base, 6-10 cm long, 3-5 cm wide, often curved, long pointed, hairy gland; edges coarsely toothed and often lobed. Flower clusters droop at leaf bases, shorter than leaves, much branched; flowers many, mostly male and female on different trees, short stalked, greenish-yellow. Five sepals, 5 narrow petals spreading 6 mm across. Fruit a 1-seeded samara, lance shaped, flat, pointed at ends, 5 cm long, 1 cm wide, copper red, strongly veined, twisted at the base. The genus name Ailanthus comes from ailanthos (tree of heaven), the Indonesian name for Ailanthus moluccana.

Medicinal Uses: The bark is used in tonic and in treatment of cough, cold, bronchitis, and infertility, curing wounds and sores (bark decoction); on rashes (leaf and bark); to treat asthma and bronchitis, and as an astringent for diarrhoea and dysentery. It is also used against skin diseases and as tonic and abortifacient agent. The leaves are used in rheumatism and postnatal care.

Ranunculus sceleratus

Scientific Name: Ranunculus sceleratus L. – cursed buttercup

Family:  Ranunculaceae – Buttercup family

Common Names: Cursed Buttercup, Poisonous Buttercup, Celery-leaved Buttercup, Blister Buttercup, Water Crowfoot, Shim, Aglaon, Jaldhaniya.

Cursed Buttercup is a fast growing annual herb which produces a multitude of small yellow flowers. The flowers have three to five yellow petals and reflexed sepals as long as petals. The leaves have small blades each deeply lobed or divided into usually three leaflets, and look like coriander leaves. They are borne on long stalks. The fruits arise in heads and make the plant easy to identify. Cursed Buttercup is a very poisonous plant. Bruised and applied to the skin, it raises a blister and creates a sore which is by no means easy to heal. When chewed, it inflames the tongue and produces violent effects.

Ranunculus sceleratus 

Medicinal uses:  The celery-leafed buttercup is one of the strongest acting of our native plants. The whole plant is acrid, mildly pain-relieving, and antispasmodic, induces sweating, promotes or assists the flow of menstrual fluid and causes irritation to the skin. When bruised and applied to the skin it raises a blister and creates a sore that is difficult to heal. If chewed it inflames the tongue and produces violent effects. If used medicinally, the herb should be used fresh since it loses its effects when dried. The leaves and the root have been used externally for rheumatism. The seed is tonic and has been used in the treatment of colds, rheumatism and excessive ejaculation.

Tinospora cordifolia (Giloy)

Scientific Name: Tinospora cordifolia

Family: Menispermaceae

Common Names: Guduchi, Gulancha Tinospora, Indian Tinospora and Giloy

Tinospora cordifolia is a native plant from tropical and subtropical regions of India. Also, known to be found in Far East, primarily in rainforests. The plant is climbing shrub with heart-shaped leaves. The herb plant flowers during the summer and fruits during the winter. Tinosopora cordiofolia prefers acid, neutral or basic alkaline soil. It can grow in semi-shade or no shade. Requiring moist soil. Tinospora Cordifolia grows without chemical fertilizers, and use of pesticides. The plant is classified as a rasayana herb: Enhance longevity, promote intelligence and prevent disease. The herb has a long history in use by practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine (the traditional medicine of India), since 2000 B.C. Known by its practitioners to treat convalescence from severe illness, arthritis (or joint diseases), liver disease, eye diseases, urinary problems, anaemia, cancer, diarrhoea, and diabetes. Also, help remove toxins from the body. The plant is cultivated by stem cutting in the month of May-June and used in Tibetan medicine. The herb is known to have a sweet, bitter and acid taste. Extracted from the stem and root is a nutrient starch used to treat chronic diarrhoea and dysentery. Not advisable to be taken by pregnant women and nursing mothers. Also, individuals with severe liver or kidney disease should avoid taking Guduchi.

Tinospora cordifolia

According to some herbalists, Tinospora helps the human body adapt to stress, regardless of the source: Heat, cold, exertion, trauma, sleep deprivation, toxic exposure, radiation, infection or psychological duress. Oral administration of an aqueous (dissolved in water) Tinospora cordifolia root extract administered to diabetic rats (condition induced) caused a significant reduction in blood glucose (sugar) and brain lipids (Most common biomolecules found in the brain. Performing brain activity in two respects: structure and function). Tinospora Cordifolia is one of many herbal drugs taken orally, found to protect mice from cyclophosphamide (belongs to a class of drugs) induced Leukopenia (Lower white blood cell count. Harder to fight against infections in the body.) Patients in India, had received Guduchi before abdominal surgery had fewer postoperative infections, and improved outcomes. Alcoholic extract of the stem Tinospora cordifolia shows activity against E. coli (Eschericha coli helps the human body, break down and digest food, normally lives inside the intestines. When the E.coli moves from the intestines to other parts of the body, can cause sickness. Most common related to eating food that contains harmful bacteria.). Indonesians use the stems of the herb to treat fever, malaria, stomach ache and jaundice. Known to combat premature aging.

Brief Information about Species

Table1: Brief Information about Species

Name of Species	Family	Medicinal Uses
Azadirachta indica	Meliaceae	Cough, fever, loss of apetite, worm infestation, wound healing, Diabetes
Aloe vera	Aloaceae	Epilepsy, depression, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, skin problems
Achyrenthes aspera	Amaranthaceae	Asthma, cough, snake bite
Gardenia jasminoides	Rubiaceae	Pain, digestive and skin problems, insomnia
Mimusops elengi	Sapotaceae	Dental ailments, Heart diseases
Punica granatum	Punicaceae	Sore throats, coughs, urinary infections, digestive disorders, skin disorders, arthritis,
Cascabela thevetia	Apocynaceae	Febrifuge, root plaster applied to tumours
Gmelina arborea	Verbenaceae	Hallucination, piles, abdominal pains, burning sensations, fevers, ‘tridosha’ and urinary discharge
Leucanthemum vulgare	Asteraceae	Whooping cough, night sweats, asthma and nervous conditions
Melia azedarach	Meliaceae	Natural insecticide
Cynodon dactylon	Poaceae	Cuts and wounds,piles, catarrhal ophthalmia

Melia azedarach

Melia azedarach

Scientific Name: Melia azedarach

Family: Meliaceae (Mahogany Family)

Common Name: Chinaberry, pride-of-India,umbrella-tree, white cedar

M. azedarach is described as a small to medium-sized shrub or tree in the mahogany family (Meliaceae). Branches are stout, with purplish bark dotted with buff-coloured lenticels. Leaves are twice to three-times compound, alternate, and puberulent to glabrous. Leaflets are 2-8cm long, serrate or crenate, dark green above, often with sparse hairs along the veins, and lighter green and generally smooth below. The inflorescence is a panicle from leaf axils and from leafless nodes on the lower part of the new growth. The perfect flowers are 5-parted. Sepals are green, 1.5-2mm long. Petals are pinkish lavender, ligulate, 1-1.3cm long. Stamens are united into a cylindrical, dark purple tube, 6-8mm long, and cut at the apex into 15-25 slender teeth. Each flower has ten anthers. Flowers are fragrant. (Batcher, 2000) states that the fruit is a stalked, one-seeded drupe that is greenish yellow to yellowish tan, globose, and 1-1.5cm in diameter (Burks 1997).

Occurs in: natural forests, range/grasslands, riparian zones, ruderal/ disturbed, urban areas, wetlands.

It is an invasive species, and used as an Ornamental plant. The plant was introduced around 1830 as an ornamental in the United States and widely planted in southern states. Today it is considered an invasive species by some groups as far north as Virginia and Oklahoma. But nurseries continue to sell the trees, and seeds are also widely available. It has become naturalized to tropical and warm temperate regions of the Americas and is planted in similar climates around the world. Besides the problem of toxicity, its usefulness as a shade tree in the United States is diminished by its tendency to sprout where unwanted and to turn sidewalks into dangerously slippery surfaces when the fruits fall, though this is not a problem where songbird populations are in good shape.

Medicinal Uses:

The clusters of lilac flowers are fragrant in the evening but are often hidden by the emerging foliage. The leaves turn a vivid yellow for a short time in the fall. The golden yellow fruit is quite attractive as it persists on the tree during the fall and winter. When eaten in quantities, the fruit is poisonous to people but not to birds. The wood is very brittle but it has been used in cabinet making.

Leaves have been used as a natural insecticide to keep with stored food, but must not be eaten as they are highly poisonous. Chinaberry fruit was used to keep drying fruit from having worms in the fruit from insects laying eggs in the fruit. By placing the berries in drying apples (etc) and keeping the fruit turned in the sun without damaging any of the Chinaberry skin the fruit will dry and not have insect larvae in the dried apples.

A diluted infusion of leaves and trees has been used in the past to induce uterus relaxation.

Melia azedarach Fruit

Melia azedarach Flower

Gmelina arborea

Gmelina arborea

Scientific name: Gmelina arborea

Family: Verbenaceae

Common names: Gamhar, Beechwood, Gmelina, Goomar teak, Kashmir tree, Malay beechwood, White teak, Vemane

Description: Gmelina arborea locally known as Gamhar, is a fast growing tree, which grows on different localities and prefers moist fertile valleys with 750–4500 mm rainfall. It does not thrive on ill-drained soils and remains stunted on dry, sandy or poor soils; drought also reduces it to a shrubby form.

The Gmelina arborea tree attains moderate to large height up to 30 m.  Wood is pale yellow to cream coloured or plukish-buff when fresh, turning yellowish brown on exposure and is soft to moderately hard, light to moderately heavy, lustrous when fresh, usually straight to irregular or rarely wavy grained and medium course textured. Flowering takes place during February to April when the tree is more or less leafless whereas fruiting starts from May onwards up to June. The fruit is up to 2.5 cm long, smooth, dark green, turning yellow when ripe and has a fruity smell.

This tree is commonly planted as a garden and an avenue tree; growing in villages along agricultural land and on village community lands and wastelands. It is light demander, tolerant of excessive drought, but moderately frost hardy. It has good capacity to recover from frost injury. Gamhar trees coppices very well with vigorous growth.

Medicinal Uses:

The root and bark of Gmelina arborea are stomachic, galactagogue laxative and anthelmintic; improve appetite, useful in hallucination, piles, abdominal pains, burning sensations, fevers, ‘tridosha’ and urinary discharge. Leaf paste is applied to relieve headache and juice is used as wash for ulcers. Flowers are sweet, cooling, bitter, acrid and astringent. They are useful in leprosy and blood diseases. In Ayurveda it has been observed that Gamhar fruit is acrid, sour, bitter, sweet, cooling, diuretic tonic, aphrodisiac, alternative astringent to the bowels, promote growth of hairs, useful in ‘vata’, thirst, anaemia, leprosy, ulcers and vaginal discharge. The plant is recommended in combination with other drugs for the treatment of snake – bite and scorpion- sting. In snake – bite a decoction of the root and bark is given internally.

 

Gmelina arborea

Gmelina arborea Flower

Leucanthemum vulgare

Leucanthemum vulgare

Scientific Name: Leucanthemum vulgare lam.

Family: Asteraceae

Common Name: Oxeye Daisy, Goldens, marguerite, moon daisy
Description: Plant height: 20-80 cm tall.
Growth habit: Erect perennial with a more or less well developed rhizome, often growing in colonies.
Stems: Single or nearly so, hairless or sparsely hairy.
Leaves: Alternate, spoon-shaped, hairless or soft-hairy. Basal leaves broad and stalked, 4-15 cm long, narrowly lobed to blunt-toothed, stem leaves narrower, reduced and becoming stalkless. Flower heads: white, showy, about 5 cm wide, solitary at the end of the long, leafless branches, with 15-30 rays, 1-2 cm long. The disk mostly 10-20 mm wide. Involucral bracts with a narrow, dark-brown band near the edge. Outer bracts lance-triangular, the inner more oblong. Flowering time: May-October. Fruits: cylindrical achene, about 10-ribbed, without pappus.
Distribution: Fields, roadsides, and disturbed areas in wild.

Medicinal Uses: 
Oxeye daisy was used medicinally. The whole plant, and especially the flowers, has medicinal properties that are antispasmodic, cough-relieving, sweat- and urination-inducing and wound-healing. It is harvested in May and June and then dried for later use. There are many medicinal uses that have been derived from this plant throughout the ages. The whole plant was said to have medicinal benefits and was used in many ways including tonics to ease the effects of whooping cough, night sweats, asthma and nervous conditions. The herb was also taken as a cure of jaundice. Externally Ox-eye Daisy was used to treat ulcers, bruises, cuts and conjunctivitis, although it can be an irritant to the skin. It should be noted that although Ox-eye Daisy was used in the above ways, to what extent it proved effective is unclear and a recognised herbalist should be consulted for correct usage and doses.

Leucanthemum vulgare Plant

Leucanthemum vulgare Flower

Gardenia jasminoides

Gardenia jasminoides

Scientific Name: Gardenia jasminoides

Family: Rubiaceae

Common Names: common gardenia, cape jasmine, Zhi-zi, Gandhraj

Gardenia jasminoides, is an evergreen flowering plant of the family Rubiaceae. It originated in Asia and is most commonly found growing wild in Vietnam, Southern China, Taiwan, Japan, Myanmar and India. With its shiny green leaves and heavily fragrant white summer flowers, it is widely used in gardens in warm temperate and subtropical climates, and as a houseplant in temperate regions. It has been in cultivation in China for at least a thousand years, and was introduced to English gardens in the mid-18th century. Many varieties have been bred for horticulture, with low growing, and large- and long-flowering forms.

Chamomile is a flowering plant that has been used for centuries for its astounding medicinal properties. A naturally occurring substance in chamomile is coumarin and this active ingredient renders the potent anti- inflammatory and blood thinning attributes that chamomile is famous for.
 

Traditionally brewed like tea, chamomile leaves have therapeutic uses and help relieve muscular cramps, soothe the digestive system, and treat several skin conditions.

Chamomile is contraindicated in people who are pregnant, prone to allergies, or are taking blood thinners.
Medicinal Uses:

This gentle herb is blessed with many health benefits. Here are the top five conditions where chamomile can be used to alleviate symptoms:
 

1. Aches and pains. Organic Roman chamomile has anti-spasmodic properties and is suggested as a muscle relaxant to relieve menstrual cramps and muscular pains.

2. Digestive complaints. Organic chamomile works wonderfully to treat ailments related to digestion such as nausea, abdominal pain, heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, and indigestion.

3. Skin conditions. Cool lavender chamomile based oils help to soothe skin burns, acne, skin allergies, diaper rash, and even eczema. Placing cooled Roman chamomile tea bags on eyes reduces dark circles and puffiness. Take a bath in water infused with chamomile oil for lighter, more refreshed, glowing skin. Organic chamomile is used to prepare soothing and moisturizing lotions and sprays that are best suited for sensitive skin prone to redness and irritation.

4. Insomnia. A remedy for sleeplessness or insomnia, Roman chamomile tea taken at bedtime helps to calm the senses and induce sleep.

5. Headaches. The pleasantly flavored Roman chamomile tea helps to reduce migraine headaches and also cures anxiety. The active ingredient apigenin in Roman chamomile helps one relax after a stressful day.

Gardenia jasminoides

Mimusops elengi

 Mimusops elengi

Scientific Name: Mimusops elengi

Family: Sapotaceae

Common names: Spanish cherry, medlar, bullet wood, maulsari 

Mimusops elengi is a medium-sized evergreen tree found in tropical forests in South Asia, Southeast Asia and northern Australia. Its timber is valuable, the fruit is edible, and it is used in traditional medicine. As the trees give thick shade and flowers emit fragrance, it is a prized collection of gardens.

Bullet wood is an evergreen tree reaching a height of about 16 m. Leaves is glossy, dark green, oval-shaped, 5–14 cm long, and 2.5–6 cm wide. Flowers are cream, hairy, and scented. Bark is thick and appears dark brownish black or greyish black in colour, with striations and a few cracks on the surface. The tree may reach up to a height of 9–18 m with about 1 m in circumference.

Medicinal Uses:

The bark, flowers, fruits, and seeds of Bakula are astringent, cooling, anthelmintic, tonic, and febrifuge. It is mainly used in dental ailments like bleeding gums, pyorrhoea, dental caries, and loose teeth.

Extracts of flowers are used against heart diseases, leucorrhoea, and menorrhagia, and act as antidiuretic in polyuria and antitoxin. The snuff made from the dried and powdered flowers is used in a disease called ahwa in which strong fever, headache, and pain in the neck, shoulders, and other parts of the body occurs.

Ripened fruits facilitate a cure for burning urination. The ripe fruit pounded and mixed with water is given to promote delivery in childbirth. The powder of dried flowers is a brain tonic and useful as a snuff to relieve headache. Decoction of bark is used to wash the wounds.

Mimusops elengi

Punica granatum

Scientific name: Punica granatum

Family: Punicaceae

Common name:  Pomegranate, Anar

An attractive shrub or small tree, to 20 or 30 ft (6 or 10 m) high, the pomegranate is much-branched, more or less spiny, and extremely long-lived, some specimens at Versailles known to have survived two centuries. It has a strong tendency to sucker from the base. The leaves are evergreen or deciduous, opposite or in whorls of 5 or 6, short-stemmed, oblong-lanceolate, 3/8 to 4 in (1-10 cm) long, leathery. Showy flowers are home on the branch tips singly or as many as 5 in a cluster. The interior is separated by membranous walls and white spongy tissue (rag) into compartments packed with transparent sacs filled with tart, flavorful, fleshy, juicy, red, pink or whitish pulp (technically the aril). In each sac, there is one white or red, angular, soft or hard seed. The seeds represent about 52% of the weight of the whole fruit.

Punica granatum Plant

Pomegranate

Interesting Facts

§  Punica granatum is nicknamed the "Jewel of Winter" because it is in season from September to January in the Northern Hemisphere.

§  Color does not indicate the ripeness of pomegranate fruit. Rather, fruit should be selected based on weight. The heavier a pomegranate is, the more juice it holds.

§  November is National Pomegranate Month.

§  According to legend there are 613 arils in each pomegranate, which is the same number of commandments in the Jewish faith.

§  Similar to human hair, the bark of a pomegranate tree turns gray with age.

§  Punica granatum was present during biblical times. It is thought that pomegranate may have been the “forbidden fruit” in the Garden of Eden.

§  Pomegranates symbolize fertility, success, and wealth.

§  The city of Grenada, Spain is named after Punica granatum.

§  Pomegranate trees are commonly sold at tree farms throughout the Midwest. However, to survive the winter, they may need to be brought indoors.

§  The inside of the fruit can be a variety of different colours, ranging from shades of light orange to deep red.

§  There are multiple variations of pomegranates, each possessing slightly different characteristics. These differences are evident in fruit size, juice sweetness, and durability of the seeds.

§  Pomegranates are used in creating a wide variety of dishes, including salads, dressings, salsas, main dishes, desserts, breads, syrups, and wines.

§  To maximize fruit production, trees should be trimmed in each of the first three years of growth.

Medicinal Properties

Pomegranate has been used for thousands of years to cure a wide range of diseases across different cultures and civilizations. It has great nutritional values and numerous health benefits. Pomegranate prevents from diseases like, Cancer, Osteoarthritis etc. The pomegranate has been used in natural and holistic medicine to treat sore throats, coughs, urinary infections, digestive disorders, skin disorders, arthritis, and to expel tapeworms. Studies also show that pomegranate seeds might help rid the digestive system of fats. Clinical research shows that pomegranates, when part of a healthy diet, might help prevent heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. This is because pomegranates have the potential to thin the blood, increase blood flow to the heart, reduce blood pressure, reduce plaque in the arteries, and reduce bad cholesterol while increasing good cholesterol. A decoction of seed is used to treat syphilis. Juice used to treat jaundice and diarrhoea. Juice of flower is used to treat nose bleeds. The fruit pulp and the seed are stomachic. Dried, pulverized flower buds are employed as a remedy for bronchitis.

Cascabela thevetia

Scientific name: Cascabela thevetia

Family: Apocynaceae

Common names: Kaner, Karber, Peeli kaner, Indian oleander, Yellow oleander

Cascabela thevetia is a shrub, grows upto 4 m tall. Leaves alternate linear lanceolate. Flowers large, bright-yellowish, in terminal cyme. Fruit drupe, broadly terbinate, seeds are few and flattened.

Cultivated in gardens, flowering and fruiting occurs throughout year.

Medicinal Uses:

A tincture of bark is a bitter cathartic or emetic, it is also used as febrifuge. In large doses, it is poisonous. The roots are made into a plaster which is applied to tumours. The seeds are abortifacient and as purgative in rheumatism and dropsy.

Cascabela thevetia Plant

Cascabela thevetia Flower

Achyranthes aspera

Scientific name: Achyranthes aspera

Family: Amaranthaceae

Commmon names: Prickly Chaff-flower, Chirchita, Latjira, Onga.

Achyranthes aspera is an important medicinal herb found as a weed throughout India. It grows as wasteland herb everywhere.

Achyranthes aspera

Achyranthes aspera

Since time immemorial, it is in use as folk medicine. Though almost all of its parts are used in traditional systems of medicines, seeds, roots and shoots are the most important parts which are used medicinally.

Traditionally, the plant is used in asthma and cough. It is pungent, antiphlegmatic, antiperiodic, diuretic, purgative and laxative, useful in oedema, dropsy and piles, boils and eruptions of skin etc. Crushed plant is boiled in water and is used in pneumonia. Infusion of the root is a mild astringent in bowel complaints. The flowering spikes or seeds, ground and made into a paste with water, are used as external application for bites of poisonous snakes and reptiles, used in night blindness and cutaneous diseases. For snake bites the ground root is given with water until the patient vomits and regains consciousness. Inhaling the fume of Achyranthes aspera mixed with Smilax ovalifolia roots is suggested to improve appetite and to cure various types of gastric disorders. It is useful in haemorrhoids, leaves and seeds are emetic, hydrophobia, carminative, resolve swelling, digestive and expel phlegm. Ash of the plant is applied externally for ulcers and warts. The crushed leaves rubbed on aching back to cure strained back. A fresh piece of root is used as tooth brush. Paste of the roots in water is used in ophthalmia and opacities of the cornea. Paste of fresh leaves is used for allaying pain from bite of wasps.

The plant is useful in liver complaints, rheumatism, scabies and other skin diseases. It also possesses tranquillizing properties

Cynodon dactylon

Scientific name: Cynodon dactylon

Family: Poaceae (Grass family)

Common names: Dhub, Doob, Harialil, Couch grass, Bermudagrass, Bahama Grass, Devil's Grass, Wire Grass.

Cynodon dactylon 

Cynodon dactylon

Cynodon dactylon is a hardy perennial grass and is one of the most commonly occurring weeds in India.

The culms(stems) take root at lower nodes. The leaf blade is flattened with a sharp tip, and is hairy or glabrous(hairless).The inflorescence consist of 3-7 slender spikes up to 60mm long, arranged terminally on the axis. The spikelets are sessile and without an awn. Flowering is from March to September.

It occurs on almost all soil types especially in fertile soil. It is common in disturbed area such as gardens, roadside, overgrazed, trampled area, uncultivated lands, localities with high level of nitrogen, and often found in moist sites along rivers. Tey helps in preventing soil erosion.

To the Hindu in India, Bermudagrass was a sacred grass because it fed their sacred cows.

Medicinal Uses: A decoction of the root is used as a Diuretic in the treatment of dropsy and secondary syphilis. An infusion of the root is used to stop bleeding from piles. The juice of the plant is astringent and is applied externally to fresh cuts and wounds. When mixed with the powder of a clove (Syzygium aromaticum), it is used as an anthelmintic. Internally, it is used in the treatment of chronic diarrhoea and dysentery. It is also useful in the treatment of catarrhal ophthalmia. The juice is also diuretic and is used in the treatment of dropsy and anasarca. The leaf juice has also been used in the treatment of hysteria, epilepsy and insanity. The plant is a folk remedy for anasarca, calculus, cancer, carbuncles, convulsions, cough, cramps, cystitis, diarrhoea, dropsy, dysentery, epilepsy, headache, haemorrhage, hypertension, hysteria, insanity, kidneys, laxative, measles, rubella, snakebite, sores, stones, tumours, uro-genital disorders, warts, and wounds.

BENEFITS OF ALOE VERA

ALOE VERA

Aloe vera is a plant of division: magnoliophyta, class: liliopsida,

 order: liliales and family: aloaceae.

Aloe Vera(Aloe barbadensis Miller) looks like a cactus but it isn't – the plant is a member of the lily family which includes garlic and onion.
Traditionally, the clear gel from the Aloe plant is rubbed on the skin as  an ointment to treat wounds and burns. The green part of the leaf can be made into a juice or dried and taken orally as a laxative. Aloe Vera is used in many commercial products in various forms, including drinks, concentrates, capsules, powders, and as a flavoring. 
Today, Aloe Vera is cultivated throughout the world. The properties of Aloe Vera, due to its long history of use, were mostly folkloric. Early attempts to scientifically validate its uses produced mixed results; different assessments of the anecdotal evidence and a wide chasm between the proponents of Aloe Vera and the detractors. 

Different parts of the plant are used for different effects on the body and Aloe Vera has both internal and external applications.

 Aloe vera contains over 200 active components including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, polysaccharide, and fatty acids- no wonder it’s used for such a wide range of remedies. The bulk of the Aloe vera leaf is filled with a clear gel-like substance, which is approximately 99% water.

Man has used aloe therapeutically for over 5000 years. 

 The Top 12 Benefits and Medicinal Uses for Aloe Vera are:

1.  Aloe Vera Is High in Vitamins & Minerals:

Aloe Vera contains many vitamins including A, C, E, folic acid choline, B1, B2, B3 (niacin), B6. Aloe Vera is also one of the few plants that contains vitamin B12.

Some of the 20 minerals found in Aloe Vera include: calcium, magnesium, zinc, chromium, selenium, sodium, iron, potassium, copper, manganese.

2. Aloe Vera is High in Amino Acids & Fatty Acids

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. There are about 22 amino acids that are necessary for the human body and it is said that 8 of these are essential. Estimates of the amino acids found in aloe range from 18-20 amino acids, with all 8 essential amino acids.

Alove Vera also includes quite an impressive range of fatty acids. Aloe contains three plant sterols, which are important fatty acids- HCL cholesterol (which lowers fats in the blood), campesterol, and B-sitosterol. All are helpful in reducing symptoms of allergies and acid indigestion. Other fatty acids include linoleic, linolenic, myristic, caprylic, oleic, palmitic, and  stearic.

3. Aloe Vera is an Adaptogen

Aloe Vera is a well-known adaptogen. An adaptogen is something that boosts the body’s natural ability to adapt to external changes and resist illness. This allows you an increased ability to cope with stress (physical, emotional and environmental stress like pollution)

4. Aloe Helps with Digestion

Poor digestion is related to many diseases. A properly functioning digestive tract is one of the keys and foundations of health. Aloe is known to soothe and cleanse the digestive tract and help improve digestion. The interesting thing about taking aloe internally is that, because it is an adaptogen, it helps with either constipation or diarrhea, helping to regulate your elimination cycles in whatever way you need.  

5. Aloe Helps in Detoxification

Aloe Vera is a gelatinous plant food, just like seaweeds and chia. The main benefit to consuming gelatinous plant foods in your diet is that these gels move through the intestinal tract absorbing toxins along the way and get eliminated through the colon. This will help the proper elimination of waste from your body and help the detoxification of your body.

6.  Aloe Alkalizes the Body

Disease cannot manifest in an alkaline environment. Most people are living and subsisting on mostly acidic foods. For great health, remember the 80/20 rule – 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acidic. Aloe vera is an alkaline forming food. It alkalizes the body, helping to balance overly acidic dietary habits

7. Cardiovascular Health

There hasn’t been a lot of studies conducted in this but there has been some research to show that Aloe Vera extract injected into the blood, greatly multiplies the oxygen transportation and diffusion capabilities of the red blood cells.

8. Aloe Helps Boost the Immune System

The polysaccharides in aloe vera juice stimulate macrophages, which are the white blood cells of your immune system that fight against viruses.

Aloe is also an immune enhancer because of its high level of anti-oxidants, which help combat the unstable compounds known as free-radicals, contributing to the aging process. (Free radicals are a bi-product of life itself, it is a naturally occurring process but we can overload ourselves with unnecessary free-radicals by living an unhealthy lifestyle) Aloe is also an antipyretic which means it used to reduce or prevent fever.

9. Aloe Vera is Great for the Skin

Because of aloe’s well-known healing properties for the skin, aloe is one of the primary compounds used in the cosmetic industry. It is a known vulnerary, (meaning it helps heal wounds) and is great for applying topically to burns, abrasions, psoriasis and even to bug bites. Aloe acts as an analgesic, acting to help relieve pain of wounds. It’s feels especially good to cut a stem of aloe, place it in the fridge and rub it on sun burnt skin – the immediate soothing effect feels like an absolute lifesaver. Aloe is also an antipruritic: A substance that relieves or prevents itching. Aloe Vera is an astringent: which causes the contraction of body tissues, typically used to reduce bleeding from minor abrasions.

Due to aloe’s high water content (over 99% water) it is a great way to hydrate, moisturize and rejuvenate the skin and fits within my general guideline: “Don’t put anything on your skin that you wouldn’t eat!” Aloe increases the elasticity of the skin making it more flexible through collagen and elastin repair. Aloe is an emollient, helping to soften and soothe the skin. It helps supply oxygen to the skin cells, increasing the strength and synthesis of skin tissue and induces improved blood flow to the skin through capillary dilation.

10. Aloe Helps Reduce Inflammation

Aloe Vera contains 12 substances, including B-sisterole, which can help to slow down or inhibit inflammation.  This may be able to help with painful joints due to stiffness and help improve joint flexibility.

11. Weight Loss – A Secondary effect

Improving your digestion, and detoxifying your will have a secondary effect in promoting weight loss because when we start to improve our digestion we naturally eliminate more efficiently, which is a primary way they we detoxify – through our bowels. This will lighten our toxic load on the body and will give us more energy.