Botanical name : Hiptage benghalensis (L) Kurz
Family : Malphigiaceae.
Morphology
H. benghalensis is a stout, high-climbing liana or large shrub, with white or yellowish hairs on the stem.
Its leaves are lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate and approximately 20 cm (8 in) long and 9 cm (4 in) broad; petioles are up to 1 cm long.It has scandent branches up to 5 m (16 ft) high.
I. benghalensis flowers intermittently during the year, and produces fragrant flowers borne in compact ten-to-thirty-flowered axillary racemes.
The flowers are pink to white, with yellow marks. Fruits are samaras with three spreading, papery oblanceolate to elliptic wings, 2–5 cm long, and propagate via wind or by cuttings.
Therapeutic Uses
The plant has strong therapeutic potential thus occasionally cultivated for medicinal purposes in several traditional medicines to cure various diseases.
This plant has been known to possess antibacterial, antifungal, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anticancerous, antimutagenic and hepatoprotective activity.
According to Ayurveda, Hiptage benghalensis is cooling, vulnerary, astringent, expectorant, cardiotonic, anti-inflammatory, insecticidal, wound healing and used in burning sensation of the body, wound, pruritus, foul ulcers, scabies, leprosy, skin diseases, cough, asthma, cardiac debility, rheumatism, hyperdipsia, obesity, intrinsic haemorrhage etc
