MEDICINAL PLANTS OF KARNATAKA.pdf
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Karnataka, the land of luxuriant forests is known for the
enchanting beauty of nature and bounty of natural resources.
Medicinal plants, one of the Chief Components of our
natural resources comprises of nearly 25% of the total 3800
species of higher plants. About 450 species are frequently
used by rural and tribal populations and the practitioners of
traditional systems of medicine. The plants enjoy various types
of habitats and are housed in vegetation types ranging from
Evergreen, Semievergreen, Moist deciduous, Dry deciduous,
Scrubs, Grass Lands, Sholas, Estuaries to Semi-arid types.
In recent days, increase in human and cattle population,
demand for agriculture land, mining operation, construction of
Dam etc., have resulted in fast depletion of natural forest
vegetation. Further, exploitation of natural resources is
increasing at an alarming rate.
In this context, Karnataka Forest Department has made
pioneering effort to conserve and protect the natural resources
by creating a chain of “Herbal reserves” and “Herb gardens”.
Evergreen forest in Western Ghat
Interior of a Evergreen Forest
Herbal Reserves
These are natural areas comprising of rich diversity of species
especially the medicinal plants in different bioclimatic regions.
Objectives
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To protect the valuable species in their natural habitats.
To carryout Scientific studies to understand the intricacies of
succession of the individual species and their interactions.
To understand the complex nature of Ecosystems, to propagate
plants and to restore degraded ecosystems.
About 12 reserves are identified along the Biogeographic regions of
the state and the notable ones are
Savandurga
Bangalore District
Biligirirangana Hills
Mysore District
Bababudangiri Range
Chikmagalur District
Gangamoola
Chikamagalur District
Kodachadri
Shimoga District
Anshi Ghat
Uttara Kannada District
Kappadagudda
Dharwad District
Herb Gardens
Herb gardens are established in various bioclimatic zones to house
specific types of plant species.
Objectives
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To grow all naturally occurring species of the surrounding area.
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To develop nursery techniques for propagation.
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To cater the needs of user vaidyas, rural people, tribals and
industries in preparation of medicines.
Ethno Botanical Gardens
Gardens of special nature are also established to elucidate
the age old relationship of specific plants with various human
practices, to high-light the aspects narrated in vedic literature,
and great epics of Indian cultural heritage.
A view of Dhanvantri Vana, Bangalore.
Perennial Waterfall amidst thick forest.
Pavitra Van as
(Sacred Grooves)
The medicinal plant and other plants
considered as sacred in Indian cultural heritage
are grown in the chain of Pavitra vanas located
all over the state.
Bakkala Vana
A garden depicting various compositions of
aesthetic gardens, relation of plants to stars and
planets, medicinal plants etc., covering the
various aspects narrated in the preachings and
writings of great saints of India - located at
Bakkal, Sirsi, Uttara Kannada.
Dhanvantri Vana
The garden designed and developed to help the
studies in Indian systems of medicine the
Ayurveda, Sidda and Unani and also to cater
the needs of drug preparation by Research and
study institutions - located near Jnanabharathi
Campus, Bangalore.
Aegle marmelos
Rutaceae
San : Bilwa
Kan :Bilpathra
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Small tree, cultivated near houses
and temples, branches with
strong straight spines. Leaves
3-foliate. Flowers greenish-white.
Fruit large 5-7 cm in diameter,
globose, rind grey to yellow
Part used .Root, bark, leaf, seed.
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Uses . Diarrhoea, constipation,
worms, cardiac diseases, skin
diseases.
Aerva lanata
Amaranthaceae
San : Pashana bedha
Kan : Bilihindi
Tomentose herb. Inflorescence a
spike of clustered flowers, white,
softly tomentose. Frequent in
waste places in dry districts.
Part used Boots, leaves, whole
plant.
Uses : Urinary calculi, dysuria,
wounds,
polyuria,
piles,
abdominal disorders, cardiac
diseases, uterine diseases, pain.
Alangium salvifolium
Alangiaceae
San : An kola
Kan : Ankole
A deciduous small tree, often with
spines. Bark grey, and wood is
hard. Flowers, white, scented.
Part used : Root bark, seed
Uses : Diarrhoea, Leprosy, fever,
erysipelas, diseases of Vata and
Kapha, Skindiseases, poisioning,
urinary disorders, centipede
poisoining, diseases of head.
Aloe vera
Liliaceae
San Kuman
Kan : Lole sara.
Perennial plant with a short stem, found in semi- wild state in many parts of
the country. Leaves 30- 60 cms long full of juice, smooth, except for the spiny
teeth on the margins. Flowers reddish-yellow.
Part used :Root, leaf juice.
Uses : Leprosy, piles, mental disorders, fistula, stomach disorders, dysentery.
Eye diseases, burns, corns, skin diseases, colic, spleen and liver ailments.
Jaundice, menstruation problems.
Aristolochia indica
Aristolochiaceae
San : Ishwari
Kan : Ishwari beru
Twining glabrous herb. Leaves lanceolate.
Flowers irregular, perianth tube long with
globose base, greenish-purple. Fruit a
globose capsule, valves opens
septicidally appears like a basket.
Part used :Root, leaves, whole plant.
Uses :Snake-bite poisoning, worms, fever,
wounds, spider poisoning.
Asparagus racemosus
Liliaceae
San • Salavari
Kan : Halavumakkala balli
Armed woody climbers, cladodes linear,
flowers in axillary, recemes, white. Fruit a
berry, globose, seeds black.
Part used : Tuberous roots.
Uses :Urinary diseases, gynaecological
disorders, diseases of nervous system,
hyperacidity, gastritis, hemorrhagia, eye
diseases, galactagogue, tonic.
Cassia fistula
Caesalpiniaceae
San : Suvarnaka — Raja vruksha
Kan : Kakke
Deciduous tree 3 to 8 meters high. Flowers in long raceme. Pod to 60 cm long,
cylindric, smooth, seeds many, ovate. An indicator of deciduous forests.
Parts used : Root bark, Stem Bark, Leaves, Flowers, Fruits,Seeds,
Uses: Rheumatism. Antidote, purgative, skin diseases, diabetes, constipation,
venereal diseases, worms, jaundice, pain, indigestion, leprosy, anaemia,
leucorrhoea.
Clitoria ternatea
Fabaceae
San : Aparajita
Kan : Shankapushpa
Climbing herbs. Flowers
attractive, large, white, often blue
tinged. Common across the
plains.
Part uses :Whole plant.
Uses : Epilepsy, psychosis.
mental retardation, insomina.
pain, brain tonic.
Eclipta alba
Asteraceae
San : Bhringaraja
Kan ; Garuga
Herb of damp places and marshy
area. Leaves linear-oblong,
tomentose. Flowers white, Plant
drying black.
Part used : Whole plant, seed.
Uses . Eye diseases, Hair falling.
Cold, diseases of head, Dental
diseases, ulcers and wounds
bronchial asthma, leprosy,
worms, oedema, anaemia.
Embelia ribes
Myrsinaceae
San : Vidanga
Kan : Vayu Vilanga
Climbing shrubs ; stem with large
tubercles at base. Leaves simple
with gland dot in pits on either side
of the midrib. Flowers white. Fruit
a red drupe.
Uses: Worms, distaste, anaemia,
oedema, fever, anorexia, urinary
calculi, polyuria, rigidties lower
limbs, fistula, pain, vomiting.
Evolvulus alsinoides
Convolvulaceae
San :Vishnu Kranthi
Kan :Vishnukranthi
Prostrate herb, root stock woody. Leaves
oblanceolate. Flowers blue, solitary,
pedicel slender. A frequent white hairy
herb of waste places.
Part used :Whole plant
Uses : Fever, Abscess, Amenorrhoea,
Diarrhoea, Brain Tonic, Hair Oil.
Gloriosa superba
Liliaceae
San : Langali
Kan : Karadi Kanniha Gedde
Climbing branched herb with white tubers. Leaves simple, tip tendrillar. Flower
solitary, reddish yellow. Fruit a capsule. Common in deciduous to moist forests.
Part used ; Tuber
Uses : Leprosy, piles, oedema, pain, worms, wounds gonorrhoea
Gmelina arborea
Verbenaceae
San : Gambhari
Kan : Shivane
Medium sized tree. Leaves
opposite, crowded at branch
ends, ovate-cordate, actuate with
dense yellow tomentum. Flowers
large, yellowish. Fruit a drupe,
oblong, green-black at maturity.
Part used : Root, bark, fruits.
Uses : Diseases of nervous
system, oedema, cardiac
diseases, pain, dysuria, piles,
poisoning, rejuventor.
Gymnema sylvestre
Asclepiadaceae
San: Ajasringi
Kan : MadUnashini
Climbing shrubs, branches
tomentose. Leaves ovateoblong, acuminate. Flower small,
in cymes. Corolla pale yellow.
Fruit a follicle. Common in dry
districts.
Part used’: Root, leaf.
Uses : Head ache, hydroceles,
polyuria, leprosy, pruritus,
poisoning, wounds, bronchial
asthma, diseases of kapha.
Helicteres isora
Sterculiaceae
San: Avartanee
Kan : Yadamuri
Shrubs to 4 meters high. Leaves
elliptic ovate, stellate tomentose.
Flowers crimson-red fading grey.
Fruit of spirally twisted follicles.
Part used : Root bark, fruits.
Uses: Blood diseases, diarrhoea,
dysentery, pain, polyuria, worms.
Hemidesmus indicus
Asclepiadaceae
San : Sariva
Kan : Sogadeberu
Slender twining herb, roots
woody, aromatic. Leaves linearlanceolate often with white streak
along the midrib. Common weed
of waste places
Part used : Root stock.
Uses : Poluria, haemorrhage,
gout, wounds, leprosy, diseases
of blood, anaemia, jaundice, colic.
Hygrophila auriculata
Acanthaceae
San • Kokilakshya
Kan : Kolavalike
Erect herbs. Leaves lanceolate,
subsessile, brownish-yellow
thorns 3-4 cm long, straight
Flowers in whorl of 4 pairs at
each node, bract long linear,
hairy, corolla blue Fruit a
capsule, seeds 4-8.
Part used . Root, seed, leaves
Uses . Diuretic, employed for
jaundice, dropsy, rheumatism,
diseases of urinogenital tract,
oedema, thirst, eye diseases,
aphrodisiac, rejuvenator.
Nelumbo nucifera
Nelumbonaceae
San : Kamala
Kan : Thavare
Aquatic herb, grow in pools and
tanks. Leaves 30-50 cm across.
peltate. Flowers rose-pink to 25
cm across with a long spongy
peduncle.
Part used :Root, flowers. Seed,
Whole plant.
Uses : Thirst, burning sensation.
boils. Haemorrhage, sterility, skin
diseases.
Diarrhoea,
Menorrhagia. Bleeding piles.
Phyllanthus emblica
Euphorbiaceae
San : Amalaki
Kan : Nelli
3 to 10 meters high, branchlels hairy, reddish brown. Leaves alternate, simple,
to 1 x 0.2 cm. Fruit globose berry, greenish- yellow.
Part used . Fruits
Uses : Chronic fever cardiac diseases, polyuria, Vomiting, constipation. Eye
diseases. Haemorrhage, Tuberculosis, Cough, Dyspnoea, Disorders of blood.
Phyllanthus fraternus
Euphorbiaceae
San Bhoomyamalakee
Kan : Nelanelli
Herbs to 15-30 cm leaves distichous to 9
X4mm. Fruitasmooth capsule A common
garden land and waste land weed.
Part used : Whole plant.
Uses : Eye diseases, hiccup, polyurea,
anaemia, jaundice, thirst, leprosy, urinary
disorders.
Rauvolfia serpentina
Apocynaceae
San : Sarpagandha
Kan : Garudapalhala
A small erect shrub to 2 ft high. Leaves in whorls of 3. thin, lanceolate, bright
green above and pale beneath. Flowers white, often tinged with violet in
irregular cymes. Fruit a drupe, purplish black when ripe.
Part used : Root.
Uses : Insomnia, psychosist worms, epilepsy, anorexia, diseases of nervous
system, mental disorder, pains, poisoning.
Rubia cordifolia
Rubiaceae
San : Manjista
Kan : Manjeete beru
A climber with angular stem Leaves with
long petioles. Common in deciduous to
semi evergreen forests among bushes.
Part used : Root
Uses : Oedema, diseases of blood, gout.
diarrhoea, leprosy, erysipelos, wounds,
polyria, gynaecological disorders, eye
diseases, dysuria, ear diseases.
Terminalia bellirica
Combretaceae
San Bibhitaka
Kan : Shanthi. Tare Mara
A deciduous tree with leaves crowded al the ends of branchlets. Flowers small.
in spikes. Fruit a single seeded drupe, oblong, faintly ridged.
Part used . Fruits
Uses : Bronchial asthma, trachyphonia. eye diseases, diseases of throat,
oedema, diarrhoea, constipation, worms, cardiac disease, liver disorders.
Tribulus terrestris
Zygophyllaceae
San : Gokshura
Kan : Neggena mullu
Procumbent herbs, with appressed white cottony hairs. Flowers yellow,
solitary. Fruit a schizocarp, woody with a pair of unequal spines on the wall. A
weed of waste places.
Part used : Root, Fruits
Uses : Dysuria, polyuria, occema. Bronchial asthma, piles, cardiac disceases,
urinary calculi. Anorexia. Diseases of Nervous system
For Further Details Contact
Design and Produced by
Script
Photo
Conservator of Forests
Research and Utilisation Circle
Aranya Bhavan
18th Cross, Malleswaram
BANGALORE - 560 003, India.
A.N. Yellappa Reddy
Balakrishna Gowda
A.N. Yellappa Reddy
M.M. Nissar
K.N.S. Iyer
Balakrishna Gowda
M.R. Gurudeva
A View of Virgin Forest of Western Ghat's
Published by: Shivanna, Silviculturist, Bangalore.
Printed at Navbharath Enterprises, Seshadripuram, Bangalore ■ 20.
Position: 105 (16 views)