Botanical name : Blumea lacera (Burm.f) DC
Family : Compositae (Asteraceae)
SANSKRIT SYNONYMS
Kukundara, Kukuradru
AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES
Rasa : Tikta, Kashaya, Katu
Guna : Lakhu.
Virya : Ushna
PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
English : Blumea, Malay Blumea
Hindi : Kukaraundha
Malayalam : Kukkravriksham, Rakkila
Distribution – Throughout India, in plains and on elevation up to 600 m
PLANT DESCRIPTION
A small annual herb with strong turpentine odor, grows up to 1 meter in height. Leaves simple, alternate, elliptic oblong, or obovate, pubescent all around, and somewhat fleshy. Flowers yellow, in heads, both terminal and axillary, fruits achenes, crowned with white pappus hairs, that aid in seed dispersion.
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Plant pacifies vitiated pitta, kapha, inflammation, fever, urinary retention, headache, wounds, abdominal disorders, worm infestation, jaundice, hemorrhoids, cough, bronchitis, leucorrhea, fever, pain, burning sensation and diarrhea. Plant exhibits antibacterial and antifungal properties.
Useful part : Whole plant.
CHEMICAL CONTENTS
Theleaves on steamdistillation yield 0.5%essential oil fromwhich camphor
is isolated. The oil contains cineol 66, d-fenchone 10 and citral about 6%. The plant gave a diester of coniferyl alcohol, acetylenic compounds, a thiophene derivative; aerial parts gave campesterol, hentriacontane, hentriacontanol, alpha-amyrin and its acetate, lupeol and its acetate and beta-sitosterol. Campestrol has been isolated from aerial parts and 5-hydroxy-3, 6, 7, 3',4'- pentamethoxy flavone, 5,3',4' trihydroxy flavone and an unidentified flavone have been isolated from leaves The alcoholic extract of the plant showed marked anti inflammatory activity in carrageenin and bradykinininduced inflammation in rats.
Dosage _ Root—5–10 g paste. (CCRAS.)
Photo : Dinesh Valke
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