Botanical name : Tinospora malabarica Mires
Family : Menispermaceae
SANSKRIT SYNONYMS
Vanaguduchi, Vanaamrita
AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES
Rasa : Tikta, Kashaya, Madhura
Guna : Lakhu, Snigda
Virya : Ushna
PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
English : Wild tinospora
Hindi : Bangiloy
Malayalam : Kattamrit, Valiya amrit.
PLANT DESCRIPTION
A spreading perennial deciduous twinner with succulent stems and easily pealing off papery bark. Leaves simple, alternate, cordate, entire, glabrous, with 7-9 nerves, and covered with hairs on both side. Compared to Tinospora cordifolia, the leaves are large. Flowers yellow in recemes, arising from nodes on the old wood. Male flowers usually are in clusters and female solitary. Fruits are yellowish green drupes. Mucilaginous greenish crust is covered with grey colored coat studded with tubercles.
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Plant pacifies vitiated vata, pitta, burning sensation, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, cardiac debility, skin disease, anemia, cough, jaundice, oligospermia and urinary system diseases. The properties are similar to Amrita to a lesser extent. Hence the plant is used as an adulterant for Amrita.
Useful part : Stem
Photo : Dr. Eby Abraham MD