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.