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
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