Botanical name : Urginea indica (Roxb.) Kunth. (Drimia indica Roxb. non-(Wt.) (Baker.
Family : Liliaceae.
SANSKRIT SYNONYMS
Vana-palaandu, Kolakanda, Vajrakanda, Krimighna, Putakanda, Suputa
AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES
Rasa : Katu, Tikta
Guna : Lakhu, Teekshna
Virya : Ushna
Vipaka : Katu
PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
English : Indian Squill, Sea onion
Hindi : Jangli piyas
Malayalam : Kattulli, Narivenkayam
Distribution – Along the costal areas in India, and in Himalayan peninsula.
PLANT DESCRIPTION
A small perennial bulbefeous herb grows up to 75 cm in height. The arial part perishes every year, with persisting bulb. Leaves simple, spirally arranged, long, acute and pubescent. Flower stalk vertical, long with drooping ends. Flowers brownish white and small, fruits oval, contain 3 seeds.
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Plant pacifies vitiated vata, kapha, cough, asthma, bronchitis, cardio myopathy, urinary retention, urinary calculi, worm infestation, skin disease, arthritis, and traumatic edema. The plant is poisonous in large dose.
Useful part : Bulb
CHEMICAL CONTENTS
Bulbs contain cardiac glycosides, scillarens A and B. Bulb, leaves and root contain stigmasterol, sitosterol and campesterol. Bulbs also contain hentriacontanol, octacosanoic acid. Defatted air-dried bulbs afforded 6- desacetoxyscillirosidin. The plant exhibits cyanogenetic activity. Urginea maritima (White Squill) is contraindicated in potassium deficiency or when digitalis glycosides are being used (Francis Brinker), in hypercalcaemia
and hyperkalaemia (Sharon M. Herr). Urginea coromandeliana Hook. f. non-Wight, synonym U. wightiana Hook f. (Coromandel coast and in dry regions of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu up to 3000 m) is used as a substitute for Indian Squill (U. indica).
Dosage – Bulb -120 - 200mg powder. (CCRAS.)
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