Botanical name : Toona ciliata M. Roem.
Family : Meliaceae
SANSKRIT SYNONYMS
Toona, Toonika, Nandi vriksha.
AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES
Rasa : Tikta, Kashaya
Guna : Lakhu.
Virya : Ushna
PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
English : Red cedar, Toon, Indian Mahogani tree
Hindi : Toon, Mahanim
Malayalam : Vembu, Ikana, Patukarana, Madagirivembu
Distribution – Throughout the evergreen forests of Western Ghats and in sub Himalayan tract in India
PLANT DESCRIPTION
A moderate to large sized tree grows up to 30 m in height with a large crown; leaves compound, imparipinnate, leaflets 4-5 pairs, base oblique: flowers white, fragrant in large terminal drooping panicles: fruits capsules, 2-2.5 cm long, seeds with membranous wings at each end.
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Plant pacifies vitiated kapha, dysentery, cough, bronchitis, diabetes, intermittent fevers, worm infestations, skin diseases and ulcers. The flowers are useful in menstrual disorders
Useful part : bark, flowers.
CHEMICAL CONTENTS
Bark and heartwood yielded tetranortriterpenoids, including toonacilin. Heartwood also gave a coumarin, geranylgernalol and its fatty esters. Toonacilin and its 6-hydroxy derivatives are antifeedant.
Photo : Dinesh Valke
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