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Salmalia malabarica

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Red silk cotton tree is an imposing, tall deciduous tree with a spreading crown. It can grow up to a height of 25 metres or more. The straight, cylindrical bole is usually very spiny on young trees, It has prominent buttresses and can be 80cm in diameter and free of branches for 20 metres or more. A multi-purpose tree, it is mainly gathered from the wild for its useful fibres, edible flowers, medicinal and many other uses. It is an excellent choice as a pioneer species for restoring native woodland or for establishing woodland gardens. It is often grown as an ornamental, where it is particularly valued for its mass of short-lived but sweetly scented flowers that are produced when the tree is leafless and attract pollinating birds, squirrels and bees like a magnet.

Uses

Cholera, Tubercular fistula, Urinary complaints, Urinary complaints, Abdominal pain, Dysentery, Impotency, Haemoptysis, Tuberculosis.[1]

Parts Used

Seeds, Leaves, Fruits, Roots, Flowers, Gum, Gum.

Chemical Composition

Salmalia malabarica Schott and Endl. flowers have been shown to contain the β-D-glucoside of β-sitosterol, free β-sitosterol, hentriacontane, hentriacontanol, traces of an essential oil, kaempferol, and quercetin.[2]

Common names

Language Common name
Kannada Buruga
Hindi Shalmali
Malayalam Unnamurika
Tamil Sittan
Telugu Buruga
Marathi Safetasarava
Gujarathi Shimalo
Punjabi
Kashmiri
Sanskrit Kantakadya
English Silk Cotton Tree


Properties

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

Dravya

Rasa

Kashaya

Guna

Laghu, Snigdha

Veerya

Sheeta

Vipaka

Madhura

Karma

Pitta, Vata

Prabhava

Habit

Deciduous tree

Identification

Leaf

Kind Shape Feature

[3]

Flower

Type Size Color and composition Stamen More information
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Fruit

Type Size Mass Appearance Seeds More information

Other features

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

Where to get the saplings

Mode of Propagation

Seeds

How to plant/cultivate

A plant of the tropical, humid lowlands. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 28 - 42°c, though it can tolerate 5 - 49°c. It can resist occasional light frosts, with new growth being killed at -1°c, but dormant growth being tolerant down to -3°c. It prefers a mean annual rainfall of 750 - 4,000mm, tolerating 500 - 5,000mm and preferring a distinct dry season.[4]

Commonly seen growing in areas

Dry river valleys, Savannah, Humid lowland deciduous forests, Often found near stream banks.

Photo Gallery

References

  1. Indian Medicinal Plants by C.P.Khare
  2. Chemical constituents
  3. [Morphology]
  4. Cultivation

External Links