Leucas Cephalotus

Botanical Name: Leucas aspera Spreng.

Family: Labiatae; Laminceae

 Introduction:

 Drona puspi used in kamala, krimi sopha etc. one of the plant belong to dasa pushpa

 

Names in different Indian languages

Hindi	Guma, chota halkkusa
Telugu	Tummi, tummacettu
Tamil	Tumbai, Tumbari.
English	Thumbee, White Dead Nettle
Marathi	Tuba
Gujarati	Kubo
Kanada	Tumbe
Malayalam	Tumba
Sanskrit	Dronpushpi
Folk	Guumaa, Halkusa

 

 

Synonyms

Phalepushpaa, Kutambaka, Ksavapatra, Chatrini, Gumã, Nahula

 

Classification according to Charaka, Susrutha & Vagbhata

 

Charaka
Susrutha
Vagbhata

 
 

 

Varieties & adulterants – (CV – controversy, AD – adulterants)  

 1. Dronã (L. aspera)

2.  Mahã Dronã (L. cephalotus)

3.  L. indica

4. L. lavandulifolia

5.  L. linifolia

 

Morphology

Annual, stout herb with hairs about 20- 50 cm high.

Leaves—simple, entire,  ovate or ovate-lanceolate, subacute, crenate-crenate-serrate, pubescent

Flowers— white, small, sessile, borne in large globose dense terminal whorls, white coloured; calyx tubular; corolla-tubular.

Fruits  nutlets, obovoid-oblong, smooth, brownish.

Flowering and fruiting during August-December.

Habitat & Distribution

Common throughout India.

Chemical Constituents

Laballenic acid,beta – sitosterol.

Properties—

Rasa Katu

Guna Guru, Ruksa

Virya Usna

Vipaka Katu

Karma Kapha-vatahara, Jvarahara, dipäña,pachana, jwarahara

Thermogenic, laxative, expectorant, anti bacterial, anti inflammatory, Carminative, antihistaminic, antipyretic, febrifuge, antiseptic.

Indications— Visama Jvara, Jvara, Agnimandya, Kãmalã, Paksãghata, Prameha, Visaroga, Arsas,gulma,

Useful in psoriasis, skin itching , cough, fever, amenorrhoea, dushta peenasa, jaundice, anorexia, dyspepsia, fever, helminthic manifestation, respiratory , skin diseases.

Part Used— Whole plant, leaves, flowers

Dosage- Fresh juice 10-20. ml.

Internal use

Digestive system: Being an appetizer, carminative, laxative and antiparasitic. its juice is used in flatulence, abdominal pain, constipation, and worms juice is used as an eye-ointment in jaundice.

 

Circulatory system : Blood purifier, alleviates oedema, hence useful in blood disorders and oedema. Juice is used as nasal drops in headache due to cold,

Respiratory system : It is an expectorant. Its decoction or hot infusion is useful in cold, cough and dyspnoea.

Reproductive system : Being an emmenagogue. it is used in amenorrhoea and dysmenorrhoea.

Skin : Useful in skin disorders. It eliminates vitiated doshas from the skin by its diaphoretic action. Juice is used for massage.

 

Temperature: Febrifuge because of its diaphoretic property), mainly in typhoid and fever induced by vata-kapha.

Satmikaran : Antidote  effective in snake bite.

Dronapushpi is a stimulant.

Srotogamitva
Dosha : Vitiates vata and pitta. alleviates kapha.

Dhatu : Amadhatu (digestive), rakta (jaundice), rasa (fever).

Mala : Purisha (cathartic) (anti parasitic), sweda (fever).

Organs: Respiratory system (asthma).

 

 

Important research work  going on

 

1. antispasmodic activity

2. treatment of viral hepatitis

 

Therapeutic Uses—

(1) Visama Jvara— Fresh juice of Dronapuspi will be useful (a. Sam. 2/1/10).

(2) Kãmalã— Añjana (Collyrium) with the juice of Dronapuspi is useful (R.M. & G.N. & V.M.)

(3) Nêtrarogani— Dronapuspi juice is mixed with rice-water and used orally as well as topically (G.N.).

Descriptions on Ayurveda books / Nighandu:

1