Arundo donax Linn.
Family Gramineae; Poaceae.
Habitat Native to Mediterranean region; found in Kashmir, Assam and the Nilgiris, also grown in hedges.
English Great Reed, SpanishBamboo-Reed, Giant-Bamboo- Reed.
Ayurvedic Nala, Potgala, Shuunyamadhya, Dhamana.
Siddha/Tamil Korukkai.
Action Rhizome—sudorific, emollient, diuretic, antilactant, antidropsical; uterine stimulant (stimulates menstrual discharge), hypotensive.
The rhizome yields indole-3-alkyl- amine bases, including bufotenidine and dehydro-bufontenine. The leaves yield sterols and triterpenoids.
Bufotenidine possesses antiacetylcholine properties, histamine release
Asdepias curassavica Linn. 67
activity and is a uterine stimulant. Alkaloids from the flowers produced curarimetic effect of the non-polarizing type.
Dosage Root—50—100 ml decoction. (CCRAS.)
Asarum europaeum Linn.
Family Aristolochiaceae.
Habitat Indigenous to the northern parts of southern Europe, Central and East-Central Europe; cultivated in the United States. A related
sp., Asarum himalaicum, synonym A. canadense, is reported from the eastern Himalayas.
English Asarbacca, Hazelwort, Wild Nard.
Unani Asaaroon, Subul-e-Barri, Naardeen-Barri.
Folk Tagar Ganthodaa.
Action Brain and nervine tonic, diuretic, deobstructant and anti- inflammatory; used in bronchial spasm and in preparations of
cephalic snuffs.
The volatile oil (0.7—4%) consists of asarone up to 50%, asaraldehyde 2—3%, methyleugenol 15—20%, with bornyl acetate, terpenes and sesquiterpenes. Asarone and its beta-isomer is found to be carcinogenic in animals. The rhizome, in addition, contains caffeic acid derivatives and flavonoids.
A related sp., Asarum canadense L., indigenous to North America and China, contains a volatile oil (3.5—
