Anogeissus latifolia - Dhava

Dhava, Anogeissus latifolia

Anogeissus latifolia is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree. It grows up to 20 metres tall. The bole can be unbranched for up to 15 metres. The tree is often harvested for its gum and tannins. It also yields a good quality wood and is planted in soil stabilization programmes.

Uses

Wound healing, Skin diseases, Diabetes, Anaemia, Hemorrhoids

Food

Dhava can be used in Food. Fried gum is used in preparation of ladoos (a sweet food item).

Parts Used

Bark, Gum, Heartwood

Chemical Composition

The leaves, bark and heartwood yield quinic and shikmik acids; leaves contain gallotannin (90–95% of the tannins). The young leaves and shoots contain 50% tannins (dry basis). The bark contains 12–18% tannins. Heartwood contains gallic acid, ellagic acid, its derivatives, quercetin andmyricetin. The gum is mainly the calcium salt of a complex, high molecular weight polysaccharic acid (ghattic acid)

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada	Dhinduga, Dindaga, Dindlu
Hindi	Dhau, Dhawda, Dohu
Malayalam	Malakanniram, Vellanaga
Tamil	Vellai-nagai, Ekariyamaram, Vellainakam
Telugu	Chirumaanu, Sirimaanu, Thirumaanu
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit	Dhava, Dridhataru, Madhuratvacha, Nanditaru, Pishachavriksha, Shushkanga
English	Dhawa

Properties

Reference: Dravya - Substance, Rasa - Taste, Guna - Qualities, Veerya - Potency, Vipaka - Post-digesion effect, Karma - Pharmacological activity, Prabhava - Therepeutics.

Rasa

Kashaya (Astringent)

Guna

Laghu (Light), Rooksha (Dry)

Veerya

Sheeta (cold)

Vipaka

Katu (Pungent)

Karma

Pitta, Kapha

Nutritional components

Dhava Contains the Following nutritional components like - Vitamin-A and C; Calcium, Iron, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Zinc

Habit

Tree

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
Simple	Opposite or sometimes alternate	Estipulate; petiole 5-15 mm, slender, grooved above, glabrous; lamina 2.5-18 x 1.7-9 cm, elliptic, elliptic-oblong, suborbicular, or oblong-obovate, base obtuse, round, cuneate or acute, apex obtuse, emarginate or mucronate, margin entire, glabrous, subcoriaceous; lateral nerves 4-11 paired, pinnate, prominent beneath, arched towards the margin, intercostae scalariform, prominent.

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Bisexual	Axillary globose heads	Pale yellow	10	Peduncle puberulous; pedicel reduced or absent; calyx tube 2 winged, 3-5.5 mm long, produced above the ovary, villous inside, teeth 5, ovate-triangular, to 1 mm long; stamens 10, in 2 series, exserted, 1.5-3 mm long; anthers small; ovary inferior, 1-celled, densely tomentose; ovules 2, pendulous; style 2-3 mm long, thickened at base, villous; stigma simple.

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
A drupe	6 - 8 mm across		Greenish-yellow, compressed, puberulous, circular; wings 2, margin entire or slightly undulate, beaked; seed one, obovate.		{{{6}}}

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

• Ayaskriti
• Asanadi kashayam
• Nyagrodadi churna
• Bala oil

Mode of Propagation

Seeds, Cuttings.

How to plant/cultivate

Fruits should be collected only when they are fully ripe as immature seeds fail to germinate. The ripe fruits are collected from the trees, dried in the sun and then stored. Generally seed viability is low but increases after very dry seasons. Seed germination is increased by a 3-min hot water seed treatment. Seed storage in metal tins or polythene containers is the best. There are 105 000-125 000 seeds /kg. Dhava is available through March to Septemebr.

Commonly seen growing in areas

Tropical area

Photo Gallery

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  Fruits

External Links

• Anogeissus latifolia on theferns.info
• Anogeissus latifolia on feedi pedia.org