medicine. Fresh shoots are chewed for tooth troubles. Aqueous extracts of the leaves and flowers of Begonia sp. are active against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
Hooirjo and Teisu are also equated with B. palmata D. Don var. gamblei Hara, found in northeastern regions of India.
Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC.
Family Iridaceae.
Habitat Introduced from China; cultivated all over India, up to an altitude of 1,800 m.
Folk Surajkaanti (Assam), Dasbaha, Dasbichandi (Bengal).
Action Rhizomes—expectorant, deobstruent, resolvent, used in
tonsillitis, chest and liver complaints (antiviral against pneumonia).
Presence of alkaloids is reported from the plant, glucoside, belamcandin from the roots. The leaves and flowers contain a glycoflavone. The seeds tested positive for leucoanthocyanins.
88 Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.
F B)
Benincasa hispida
(Thunb.) Cogn.
Synonym B. cenfera Savi. Cucurbita hispada Thunb.
Family Cucurbitaceae.
Habitat Cultivated largely in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Bihar.
English Ash Gourd, White Gourd, Wax Gourd, White Pumpkin.
Ayurvedic Kuushmaanda, Kuushmaandaka, Kuushmaandanaadi.
Unani Pethaa, Mahdabaa, Kaddu e-Roomi.
Siddha/Tamil Ven-poosani, Saambalpushani.
Action Leaves—cooling, juice rubbed on bruises. Fruit decoction—laxative, diuretic, nutritious, styptic (given for internal haemorrhages and diseases of the respiratory tract.) Juice of fruit— used for treating epilepsy, insanity and other nervous diseases. The ash of fruit rind—applied on painful swellings. Seeds—anthelmintic.
The fruits contain lupeol, beta-sitosterol, their acetates and several amino acids. The fruit juice produces tranquilizing activity and mild CNS depressant effect in mice.
The roots of mature plant contain a pentacyclic triterpene, which exhibits antiallergic activity against both homologous passive cutaneous anaphylaxis and delayed hypersensitivity in mice. The fruit
