IDENTIFICATION OF COMMON INDIAN

MEDICINAL PLANTS

V.N. NAIK

Published by: Scientific Publishers (India) 5 A, New Pali Road, P.O. Box 91 Jodhpur 342 001 (India) E-mail: info@scientificpub.com Website: www.scientificpub.com

Branch Office Scientific Publishers (India) 4806/24, Ansari Road, Daryaganj New Delhi - 110 002 (India)

ISBN: 81-7233-373-0 (10) 978-81-7233-373-7 (13) Reprint from: JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC AND TAXONOMIC BOTANY ADDITIONAL SERIES NO. 25 ISSN: 0970-3306 © Naik, V.N., 2012 Lasertype set: Rajesh Ojha Printed in India

CONTENTS

Preface vii

List of Illustrations ix

Colour Photo Index xiii

Chapter 1. Knowing Plants by their External Features 1-51

— The Seed 2

— The Root 4

— The Stem 6

— The Leaf 11

— The Flower 21

— The Fruit 44

Chapter 2. Glossary of Botanical Terms 52-62

Chapter 3. Key to Identification of Families of Medicinal Plants 63-74

Chapter 4. Key to Identification of Species of Medicinal Plants 75-118

Chapter 5. Family-wise List of Common Indian Medicinal Plants 119-150

PREFACE

Research in any discipline of plant science demands proper identification of the raw material i.e. species as its pre – requisite. Even in the field of taxonomy, the material has to be identified initially and the improved taxonomic interpretation may follow subsequently. This is particularly so, in case of research in medicinal plants, which are then used in the manufacture of life saving medicines. But, unfortunately it is noticed that many practitioners in the Ayurvedic System of Medicine do not care for the proper identification of plant species being employed to heal the diseased patients. As a result, much of the research in Ayurveda in this country proves to be useless. The foundation of plant identification itself is not very sound in our country and the students of II year B.A.M.S., with Drawyagn as one of the compulsary subjects, do not fair-well in the examinations.

Most of the Ayurvedic medicines available in the market today, do not yield the desired effects. Here again the difficulty lies mainly in proper identification of the raw material used in the manufacture of the medicine. Most of the pharmacists are unaware of the purity of the raw material.

In our country, there are very few cultivators of medicinal plants. Most of the cultivators do not know exactly what they are growing. They do not have the reliable source of supply of pure planting material.

Majority of the students of Botany and Ayurveda do not have experience in plant identification, mainly because they are not trained in this discipline.

Considering all the above problems, it was realized that, the persons in the field of Ayurved, Agriculture, Botany, Medicine and Pharmacy together with those in Forestry and Trade should be

viii Identification of Common Indian Medicinal Plants

provided with an easy tool to identify plant materials based on their external features, in a scientific manner.

The present work is an outcome of long-standing experience in the field of Taxonomy and particularly in the Floristic studies.

The entire work is presented in five uneven chapters. The first chapter deals with the botanical terminology used in the identification and its explanation together with suitable illustrations. The second chapter provides a glossary of all such technical terms and their explanation in brief. The third chapter provides a dichotomous bracket key to the identification of plant families and the fourth chapter provides key to the identification of more than 600 Indian plant species used in Ayurvedic medicines. These include more than 350 species prescribed in the syllabus of II year B.A.M.S. The fifth chapter provides a list of all these medicinal plants with Latin, Sanskrit, Marathi, and Hindi names and their parts used in medicine.

In the keys, pairs of contrasting character states are listed serially (serial numbers listed on the left-hand side) and on the right-hand side the numbers indicate the next step to be followed until one reaches the conclusion. The plant families are according to the recent systems of plant classification. They do not correspond exactly to those given by Charak, Sushrut or Wagbhat.

It is hoped, that, this key will help students of Ayurved, Agriculture, Botany, Forestry, Medicine and Pharmacy in identification of entire plant or plant parts.

Aurangabad V.N. Naik

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Line drawings of Plant Parts Page No.

Fig. 1. Bean Seed 3Fig. 2A. Maize Grain 3Fig. 2B. Bean Seed 3Fig. 2C. Castor Seed 3Fig. 3A. Epigeal Germination of Bean Seed 3Fig. 3B. Epigeal Germination of Castor Seed 3Fig. 4A. Hypogeal Germination of Pea Seed 4Fig. 4B. Hypogeal Germination of Gram Seed 4Fig. 4C. Hypogeal Germination of Maize Grain 4Fig. 4D. Epigeal Germination of Onion Seed 4Fig. 5. Parts of a Typical Root 5Fig. 6. Forms of Tap Root 5Fig. 7A. Tap Root 5Fig. 7B. Modification of Adventitious Roots 5Fig. 7C. Modification of Adventitious Roots 5Fig. 7D. Modification of Adventitious Roots 5Fig. 8. A Twig of Banyan 6Fig. 9. Habits of Plants 7Fig. 10A. Types of Branching 8Fig. 10B. Modification of Stem 8Fig. 11. Modification of Stem 9Fig. 12. Modification of Stem-Phylloclades 9Fig. 13 & 14. Modification of Stem 9Fig. 15. Modification of Stem 10Fig. 16. Modification of Stem 10 Continue ..........

x Identification of Common Indian Medicinal Plants

Line drawings of Plant Parts Page No.

Fig. 17. Modification of Stem 10Fig. 18. Modification of Stem 10Fig. 19A & 19B. Modification of Stem 10Fig. 19C. Reduced Stems 11Fig. 20. Parts of a Typical Leaf 11Fig. 21. Leaf Base 12Fig. 22A. Types of Stipules 13Fig. 22B. Types of Stipules 13Fig. 23. Modification of Petiole 13Fig. 24A. Type of Venation 13Fig. 24B. Types of Venation 13Fig. 24C. Types of Venation 13Fig. 25. Leaf Shapes 14Fig. 26. Leaf Apex 15Fig. 27. Leaf Margins 15Fig. 28. Leaf Incisions 16Fig. 29 & 30. Compound Leaves 17Fig. 31. Palmately Compound Leaves 18Fig. 32. Phyllotaxis 19Fig. 33. Modification of Leaves 20Fig. 34. Modification of Leaves 20Fig. 35. Leaf of Kalanchoe Bearing Plantlets 21Fig. 36. Leaves of Insectivorous Plants 21Fig. 37. Insectivorous Plant 21Fig. 38. Ovule 23Fig. 39. Types of Bracts 24Fig. 40. Gynandrophore of Cleome 25Fig. 41. Parts of a Typical Flower 25Fig. 42. Modification of Calyx 26Fig. 43. Forms of Corolla 27Fig. 44. Papilionaceous Corolla of Pea 28Fig. 45. Types of Corolla 28Fig. 46. Types of Corolla 29Fig. 47. Aestivations of Corolla 30Fig. 48. Attachment of Filament with the Anther 30Fig. 49. Adelphy Conditions 31Fig. 50. Relative Lengths of Stamens 32Fig. 51. Dehiscence of Anthers 32Fig. 52. Types of Carpels 33 Continue............

List of Illustrations

xi

Line drawings of Plant Parts Page No.

Fig. 53. Types of Styles 33Fig. 54. Types of Syncarpous Gynoecia` 34Fig. 55. Position of Ovary 35Fig. 56. Types of Placentation 36Fig. 57A. Types of Inflorescence 38Fig. 57B. Spikelet of Grass 38Fig. 57C. Types of Inflorescence 39Fig. 57D. Types of Inflorescence 39Fig. 57E. Types of Inflorescence 40Fig. 57F. Inflorescence of Sunflower 40Fig. 58. Types of Cymose Inflorescence 41Fig. 59. Cyathium Inflorescence of Euphorbia 42Fig. 60. Thyrsoid Panicle of Ocimum 42Fig. 61. Verticillaster of Leucas 43Fig. 62. Inflorescence of Ficus 43Fig. 63. Fruit of Mango 44Fig. 64. Dehiscent Fruit 45Fig. 65. Dehiscent Fruit 46Fig. 66. Types of Dry, Indehiscent Fruits 47Fig. 67. Types of Schizocarpic Fruits 48Fig. 68. Types of Fleshy Fruits 49Fig. 69A. Types of Aggregate Fruits 50Fig. 69B. Type of Aggregate Fruit 50Fig. 70A. Types of Composite Fruits 51Fig. 70B. Types of Composite Fruits 51

COLOUR PHOTO INDEX

Coloured Photographs of Medicinal Plants for

Confirmation of Identified Plants

001 Andrographis paniculata dkyes?k

002 Barleria prionitis lgpj

003 Crossandra infundibuliformis lSjs;d

004 Hygrophila schulli dksfdyk{k

005 Rhinacanthus nasutus ;wfFki.khZ

006 Trianthema portulacastrum olq

007 Celosia argentea f’krokj

008 Anacardium occidentale dktw

009 Semecarpus anacardium HkYykrd

010 Centella asiatica eaMqdi.khZ

011 Foeniculum vulgare feJs;k

012 Alstonia scholaris lIri.kZ

013 Carissa congesta djenZd

014 Holarrhena pubescens dqVt

015 Nerium oleander djohj

016 Acorus calamus opk

017 Borassus flabellifer rky

018 Phoenix sylvestris foV [ktqZj

019 Calotropis gigantea vdZ

020 Gymnema sylvestre e/kqukf’kuh

021 Tylophora indica fiRroYyh

022 Echinops echinatus mRdaVd

023 Elephantopus scaber xksftOgk

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xiv Identification of Common Indian Medicinal Plants

024 Sphaeranthus indicus eqaMh

025 Spilanthes oleracea vDdydkjk

026 Averrhoa carambola deZjax

026a Dolichandrone falcata es"k’k`axh

027 Oroxylum indicum ';ksud

028 Bixa orellana flanwjh

029 Bombax ceiba 'kkYeyh

030 Ananas comosus vuul

031 Opuntia elatior daFkkjh

032 Bauhinia racemosa v’ekard

033 Caesalpinia bonduc iwfrdjat

034 Cassia fistula vjXo/k

034a Cassia senna Lo.kZi=h

035 Saraca asoca v’kksd

036 Cadaba fruticosa gcc

037 Capparis decidua djhj

038 Capparis sepiaria dkdknuh

039 Capparis zeylanica O;k?kzu[kh

040 Crateva adansonii o:.k

041 Celastrus paniculata T;ksfr"erh

042 Cleome viscosa vkfnR;HkDr

043 Garcinia indica lkjkEy

044 Terminalia arjuna vtqZu

045 Terminalia chebula gfjrdh

046 Argyreia nervosa o`)nkjd

047 Ipomoea sepiaria y{e.kk

048 Ipomoea mauritiana {khj fonkjh

049 Ipomoea nil 'kaf[kuh

050 Ipomoea pes-caprae e;kZn osy

051 Operculina turpethum fu’kksÙkj

052 Kalanchoe pinnata i.kZcht

053 Dioscorea bulbifera ojkgh dan

054 Cordia dichotoma cgqokj

055 Baliospermum solaniifolium narh

056 Euphorbia nivulia Luwgh

057 Mallotus philippensis dafiYyd

058 Phyllanthus amarus HkwE;keydh

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Colour Photo Index

xv

059 Phyllanthus emblica vkeydh

060 Phyllanthus reticulatus d`".kdkackst

061 Securinega leucopyrus dkaVsiqo.k

062 Abrus precatorius xqat

063 Clitoria ternatea vijkftrk

064 Erythrina suberosa ifjHknz

065 Mucuna pruriens dop cht

066 Psoralea corylifolia ckdqph

067 Pueraria tuberosa fonkjh

068 Sesbania grandiflora vxLR;

069 Uraria picta i`Üuhi.khZ

070 Curculigo orchioides rkyeqyh

071 Coleus barbatus ekbZuewG

072 Leonotis nepetifolia ekrhlwG

073 Ocimum tenuiflorum rqylh

074 Cinnamomum camphora diwZj

075 Cinnamomum tamala rekyi=

076 Cinnamomum verum Rod

077 Careya arborea dqaHkh

078 Aloe vera dqekjh

079 Asparagus racemosus 'krkojh

080 Drimia indica ouiykaMq

081 Gloriosa superba dfygkjh

082 Ammannia baccifera vfXui=h

083 Lawsonia inermis esafndk

084 Woodfordia fruticosa /kkrdh

085 Abutilon indicum vfrcyk

086 Hibiscus cannabinus vac"Bk

087 Hibiscus rosa-sinensis tik

088 Azadirachta indica dMqfuac

089 Melia azedarach egkfuac

090 Tinospora cordifolia xqMqph

091 Ficus amplissima Iy{k

092 Ficus benghalensis oM

093 Ficus hispida dkdksnqacj

094 Ficus microcarpa ukanzqd

095 Moringa oleifera f’kxzq

096 Myristica sp. tkfrQy

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xvi Identification of Common Indian Medicinal Plants

097 Nelumbo nucifera ine

097a Boerhavia diffusa iquuZok

098 Nymphaea rubra jDr dey

099 Oxalis corniculata pkaxsjh

100 Pandanus odoratissimus dsrdh

101 Argemone mexicana lR;uk’kh

102 Pedalium murex xks{kqj

103 Hemidesmus indicus d`".klkfjok

104 Piper longum fiIiyh

105 Piper nigrum ejhp

106 Plantago ovata b’krxksy

107 Plumbago zeylanica fp=d

108 Cymbopogon winterianus dqr`.k

109 Desmostachya bipinnata nHkZ

110 Portulaca oleracea c`gYyks.kh

111 Clematis heynei eksjok

112 Catunaregam spinosa enu

113 Ixora coccinea iudqG

114 Neolamarckia chinensis dnac

115 Citrus aurantifolia fuacqd

116 Madhuca indica e/kqd

117 Bacopa monnieri czkãh

118 Solanum virginianum daVdkjh

119 Strychnos nux-vomica fo"k franwd

120 Clerodendrun serratum HkkyhZ

121 Vitex negundo fuxqZMh

122 Alpinia galanga dks"B dqfyatu

123 Costus speciosus dseqd

124 Guaiacum officinale thonk:

125 Tribulus terrestris {kqn xks{kqj