BOTANICAL NAME- Caesalpinia crista Linn.
FAMILY- Caesalpinaceae
INTRODUCTION
Creeper having fruits similar to Karanja.
NAMES IN DIFFERENT INDIAN LANGUAGES– English → English Fever nut
Hindi → Kanthe Karanja
Kannada → Gajjuga
Malayalam → Avil
Marathi → Gajaga
SYNONYMS- Kuberakshi, Putik, Puti-Karanj
CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO CHARAK AND SUSHRUT- Caraka- Not included
Suśruta- Not included
MORPHOLOGY- Large thorny shrub.
Branches- Armed with hooks and straight hard yellow prickles.
Leaves- Compound, 30 to 60 cm long, petioles are prickly, at the base of leaf there is a pair of stipule
reduced to pinnae, 5 to 7.5 cm long. Leaflets are 6 to 9 pairs, 2 to 3.8 cm long, 1 to 2 cm wide,
elliptic-oblong, glabrous above, short petiolutes.
Inflorescence- Long peduncled terminal or supra axillary raceme.
Fruit- Pods, shortly stalked, oblong, 5-7 cm long, 45 cm wide, densely armed with wiry prickles.
Seeds- are 1-2 in one fruit, lead coloured, 1 to 3 cm long
CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS- Seeds contain Caesalpin (Bitter substance), Phytosterinin, Bonducin, Saponin, Fatty oil, Starch, Amino
acids, Sucrose and Glucose, Seed kernel contains Caesalpin, Homoisoflavone bonducellin and fatty
acids.
PROPERTIES- Rasa- Tikta, Kashaya
Guna- Laghu, Ruksa
Vipäka- Katu
Virya- Usna
KARMA- Vata kapha samaka, Visamajwaraglina, Krimighna, Sothahara, Rakta sodhaka, Kusthaghna,
Pramehaghna and Sulahara.
Anthelmintic, Styptic, Antipyretic, Antiviral, Antifungal, Anti-inflammatory, Antimalarial and
Antimicrobial.
INDICATIONS- Visamajwara, Krimi, Sotha, Kustha, Prameha and udarasula.
PART USED- Seed, Root, Leaf
DOSAGE- Curna (Powder)- 1 to 3 g, Swarasa (Juice)- 10 to 20 ml
IMPORTANT YOGAS OR FORMULATIONS- Latakaranja Bīja Taila, Visamajwaraghni Vati, Pramehamihira Vati
THERAPEUTIC USES- 1. Visamajwara (Malarial fever)
Seeds of Latakaranja are powdered and administered with equal quantity of Marica Curna in case of
Viṣamajwara (Malarial fever).
- Youvanapiḍaka (Pimples)
Seeds of Latakaranja is grounded with Godugdha (Cow milk) and applied in (Pimples) case of
Youvanapidaka.
