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Parijata

Botanical Name : Nyctanthes arbor-tristis

Family : Oleaceae; Nyctanthaceae   

 Introduction :

Latin name: Nydanthus (Nyct = night; anthus = flowering (night flowering); arbortristis = (Arbor )

tristis = weeping, gloomy, flowers dropping like tears).

Red stalks of flowers are cut, dried in the sun end stored to be usedfor dying clothes and as a colouring agent for sweets and other eatables. Poets in India have compared the tips of beautiful women to the flowers of this tree

Names in different Indian languages :

English : Tree of Sorrow,Night Jasmine,Coral Jasmine

Hindi : Harsimgar,parja

Kannada : Parijata

Malayalam : Pavilamalli,parijatham

Sanskrit : Paarijaata

Tamil : Pavazha mattigai

Telugu : pavilamalligai

Unani : Harasingaar,swetasarasa

Synonyms :

Paarijaata, Shephaali, Shephaalikaa, Mandaara

Morphology :

A tree of 3 – 10 mtrs height.

Leaves – simple, opposite,  facing forwards, 10 to 12.5 cm long. 5 to 6.25 cm broad, rough. Upper surface is green and the lower surface is white. Petals are yellowish red and very attractive in appearance. Therefore it is compared to the lips of a young lady.

Flowers –  white, fragrant and delicate, flowers bloom in the night and fall off in the morning on the ground below the tree. Ovary is flat, bilobular with two seeds. (Children play with these seeds and call them as coins).

Distribution & Habitat :

All over India

Chemical constituents :

Iridoid glycosides, mannitol, beta-amyrin, beta-sitosterol, hentriacontane, benzoic acid, astragalin, nicotiflorin, oleanolic acid, nyctanthic acid, friedelin and lupeol.

Properties :

RASA- tikta

GUNA- laghu. ruksha

VIRYA-ushna

VIPAKA-katu

Karma :

bitter tonic, cholagogue, febrifuge, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, hypotensive, respiratory stimulant, laxative, diuretic

Indication :

fevers, gout, sciatica, pruritus, cough, asthma

Part used :

Leaves, flower, seed, bark

Dosage :

2-4 g

Internal uses :

Seeds are used as antihelminthics and in alopecia. Rough leaves are used for scrapping the margins of wounds. Leaf juice is used in loss of appetite, piles, liver disorders, biliary disorders and intestinal worms. Powder prepared from leaves or bark is given in cough and asthma. Also useful in dysuria, chronic fever and snake poisoning.

Therapeutic Uses :

Decoction of leaves is very useful in fever with rigors

Hindi »