Shalmali

Sanskrit Name

शाल्मली (Shalmali), also known as Shimbal

Identification No : SDACH/HG/253

Botanical Name

Bombax ceiba L. (Synonym: Bombax malabaricum)

Family Name

Malvaceae

Vernacular Names

• Hindi: Semal
• English: Red Silk Cotton Tree
• Bengali: Shimul
• Marathi: Sawar
• Tamil: Ilavamaram
• Malayalam: Ilavu

Synonyms – Bhav Prakash

शाल्मलिस्तु भवेन्मोचा पिच्छिला पूरणीति च |
रक्तपुष्पा स्थिरायुश्च कण्टकाढ्या च तूलिनी ||
(Bhavaprakasha Nighantu – Guduchyadi Varga)

Classification

• Bhavaprakasha: Mentioned in Guduchyadi Varga; known for its kandughna, vrana ropana, shukravardhaka actions

Habitat & Distribution

• Found throughout tropical and subtropical India up to 1500 m elevation
• Common in forests, along roadsides, and cultivated for shade and fiber
• Widely distributed in Southeast Asia, China, and tropical Africa

Morphology

• Tree: Large deciduous tree up to 30–40 m tall
• Trunk: Covered with sharp conical prickles when young
• Leaves: Palmately compound with 5–7 leaflets
• Flowers: Bright red, large, bell-shaped, blooming before leafing
• Fruits: Long capsules containing silky cotton
• Seeds: Blackish, smooth
• Bark: Grey-brown, rough
• Roots: Used in Vajikarana
• Thorns and gum (mocharasa) are also medicinal

Varieties

• Bombax insigne is a close relative but not equivalent

Substitute / Adulterant

• Substitute: Ceiba pentandra (White silk cotton tree – not equivalent)
• Adulterant: Sterculia spp., Ceiba spp. in powdered bark or gum

Phytochemicals

• Tannins
• Flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol)
• Steroids
• Terpenoids
• Alkaloids
• Gallic acid
• Mucilage
• Saponins
• Gum-resin (mocharasa) contains complex polysaccharides

Raspanchaka

• Rasa: Kashaya, Tikta
• Guna: Laghu, Ruksha
• Virya: Sheeta
• Vipaka: Katu
• Prabhava: Vrana-ropana
• Dosha Shamakta: Kapha-Pitta hara

Karma – Rogaghnata

• Vrana ropana (wound healing)
• Kandughna (anti-pruritic)
• Shukravardhaka (semen enhancer)
• Stambhana (astringent, anti-diarrheal)
• Raktapitta hara (anti-hemorrhagic)
• Garbhasthapana (uterine tonic – traditional use)
• Prameha hara (anti-diabetic – root bark)

Amayika Prayoga / Therapeutic Uses

External

• Bark decoction or paste used in skin diseases and wounds
• Thorn powder paste in acne and pimples
• Mocharasa used in topical burns and inflammation

Internal

• Decoction of bark used in leucorrhoea, diarrhea, and diabetes
• Root powder as an aphrodisiac
• Gum used as general tonic and in pediatric care
• Flower decoction in bleeding disorders and dysentery

Part Used

• Bark
• Root
• Flower
• Gum (Mocharasa)
• Thorns (in cosmetics/traditional formulations)

Dose

• Churna (powder): 3–6 g
• Kwatha (decoction): 40–60 ml
• Mocharasa: 1–3 g
• Fresh juice (swarasa): 10–20 ml (bark)

Yoga / Formulations

• Shalmali Rasayana
• Mocharasa Yoga

IUCN Status

• Least Concern(LC).

Research Updates

1. 2020 – Indian Journal of Pharmacognosy
   Ethanolic extract of