The meaning of the symbols of gentiana, kurroo, royle seen in a dream.

Lindl.

Synonym: A. belladonna auct. non L.

Family: Solanaceae.

Habitat: Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh up to 2,500 m.

English: Indian Belladonna, Indian Atropa.

Ayurvedic: Suuchi.

Unani: Luffaah, Luffaah-Barri, Yabaruj, Shaabiraj.

Action: Highly poisonous; sedative, narcotic, anodyne, nervine, antispasmodic (used in paralysis); parkinsonism; encephalitis; carcinoma; spastic dysmenorrhoea; whooping cough, spasmodic asthma; colic of intestines, gall bladder or kidney, spasm of bladder and ureters; contraindicated in enlarged prostate.

Key application: In spasm and colic-like pain in the areas of the gastrointestinal tract and bile ducts. (German Commission E, The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia.) It is contraindicated in tachycardiac arrhythmias, prostate adenoma, glaucoma, acute oedema of lungs.

A. belladonna L. (European sp. Belladonna, Deadly Nightshade) is cultivated in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

The herb contains tropane (tropine) or solanaceous alkaloids (up to 0.6%), including hyoscamine and atropine; flavonoids; coumarins; volatile bases (nicotine).

Tropane alkaloids inhibit the para- sympathetic nervous system, which controls involuntary bodily activities; reduces saliva, gastric, intestinal and bronchial secretions, and also the activity of urinary tubules. Tropane alkaloids also increase the heart rate and dilate the pupils. These alkaloids are used as an additive to compound formulations for bronchitis, asthma, whooping cough, gastrointestinal hy- permotility, dysmenorrhoea, nocturnal enuresis and fatigue syndrome.

Atropine provides relief in parkin- sonism and neurovegetative dystonia.

The root is the most poisonous, the leaves and flowers less, and the berries the least. (Francis Brinker.)

Dosage: Leaf, root—30-60 mg powder. (CCRAS.)... atropa acuminata royle ex

DC.

Family: Compositae; Asteraceae.

Habitat: The Western Himalayas from Kashmir to Garhwal.

Unani: Daarunaj Aqrabi Hindi.

Action: The root is reported to prevent giddiness caused during high attitude ascents.

The root yields a gum-resin, used in gargle water as stimulant, astringent and in toothpaste. Root—used in rheumatism. Leaves—carminative.... doronicum roylei

Boiss.

Family: Euphorbiaceae.

Habitat: Western Himalaya from Kumaon to Nepal.

Ayurvedic: Snuhi, Snuk, Sehunda, Gudaa (Substitutes.) (Adhogudaa of Ayurvedic medicine and Bana- muuli of folk medicine have been equated with Euphorbia acaulis Rox.)

Unani: Thuuhar

Folk: Thor, Surai.

Action: Latex—cathartic, anthelmintic.

The latex yield euphol, cycloeu- calenol, an inseparable mixture of four tetra-and four tri-esters of macrocyclic diterpene ingenol, octacosanol, tetra- cosanol, beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, alpha-amyrin and campesterol. The plant gave ingenol.

The latex is a valuable source of in- genol esters. Ingol is a macrocyclic diterpene and is of therapeutic interest due to its antileukemic properties. Fractionation of the latex gave ingol- 12-acetate and 8-tigloyl-12-acetate. The acylation of ingol-12-acetate yielded derivatives which inhibit the growth of the basophilic leukaemia cells in rats.... euphorbia royleana

Hook.

Family: Liliaceae.

Habitat: Western temperate Himalaya from Kashmir to Kumaon at 2,700-4,35 m.

Ayurvedic: Kshira-Kaakoli, Viraa, Kaayasthikaa, Vaaysoli.

Action: Used in the treatment of asthma, bronchitis and tuberculosis. (Withania somnifera is a substitute for Kaakoli and Kshira-Kaakoli.)

The bulbs gave alkaloids—peimine, peimisine, peimiphine, perminine, permidine and permitidine. The bulbs also gave neutral compounds—prope- imin and a sterol. The plant gave kash- mirine.

Dosage: Bulb—3-6 g powder. (CCRAS.)... fritillaria roylei

Wight.

Family: Asclepiadaceae.

Habitat: Western and Eastern Himalayas, Simla and Kumaon, hills of Assam.

Ayurvedic: Muurvaa (var.).

Folk: Maruaa-bel. Khaarchu (Garhwal).

M. hamiltonii Wight (sub-Himalayan tract and adjacent plains of Ut- tar Pradesh and Bihar) has also been equated with a Muurvaa var. It is known as Moran-adaa in folk medicine.... marsdenia roylei

Royle.

Family: Gentianaceae.

Habitat: Kashmir and North-West Himalayas.

English: Himalayan Gentian, Indian Gentian Root.

Ayurvedic: Traayamaana, Traayanti, Traayanta, Traayantikaa, Neelkan- thi, Anujaa, Girijaa, Girishaanujaa, Balbhra, Paalani. (Paakhaanabheda is a wrong synonym)

Unani: Ghaafis.

Action: Sialagogue, digestant, appetite-stimulant, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, emmenagogue. Used for alkalosis, feeble digestion in the elderly from gastric acid deficiency (increases gastric juices without altering PH); also used for jaundice, nausea, vomiting, travel sickness, diarrhoea, malaria and nervous exhaustion. (In Chinese medicine, Gentiana sp., known as Longdan, are used for jaundice, hepatitis, urinary tract infections, pruritis and eczema.)

Key application: Gentiana lutea— internally, for digestive disorders, such as lack of appetite, fullness and flatulence (German Commission E, WHO), for anorexia following illness and dyspepsia (ESCOP). The British Herbal Compendium approves gentian for lack of appetite, anorexia, atonic dyspepsia, gastrointestinal atony, and as antiemetic. The British Herbal Pharmacopoia recognizes it as a bitter tonic.

The rhizome and roots of G. Kur- roo contain iridoid glycoside; major component was identified as 6'- cinnamoylcatalpol.

The rhizomes and roots of Picro- rhiza kurrooa Royle ex Benth., found in the Himalayas, have similar properties and uses and are mixed or substituted for those of G. kurroo.

Gentiana lutea (Yellow Gentian) is a native of Europe and Asia Minor and is imported into India. The most important constituents of the drug are secoiridoid bitter compounds, amaro- gentin and gentiopicroside, together with traces of swertiamarin and sweroside. The roots also contain alkaloids, gentianine and gentioflavine, xanthones, and bitter oligosaccharides, gentiobiose and gentianose.

Amarogentin, gentiopicrin, swer- tiamarin, sioeroside (iridoid monoter- penes) are toxic constituents.

Gentiana tenella Rottb., synonym Gentianella tenella H. Smith and G. decumbens Linn.f. occur at high altitudes in the Himalayas, and are used as substitutes for gentian. G. tenella is known as Kadu in Kashmir and Titaa in Punjab. The rhizome is used as Traayamaana in Ayurvedic medicine.

The flowering tops of G. olivieri Griseb., synonym G. dahurica Fisch., used in Unani medicine as Gul-e- Ghaafis, are imported into India from Persia.

Dosage: Root—1-3 g powder. (CCRAS.)... gentiana kurroo

Roxb.

Family: Labiatae.

Habitat: Plain and hills of Kumaon and Punjab, extending westwards to Afghanistan. Imported into India from Persia.

Unani: Baalango, Tukhm-e- Baalango.

Folk: Tuut-malangaa.

Action: Seed—cooling, diuretic, sedative; given internally as a soothing agent during urinary troubles, also for cough. A poultice of seeds is applied to abscesses, boils and inflammations. (Seeds are not to be used as a substitute for Plantago sp.)

Seeds contain linoleic, oleic, palmitic and stearic acids; beta-sitosterol. Gum contains L-arabinose, D-galac- tose, L-rhamnose, pentosans, protein, uronic anhydride. Amino acids are also found in the plant.... lallemantia royleana

(D. Don) Baillon.

Synonym: R. elegans Wall. ex Benth. R. calycina (Roxb.) Briq.

Family: Lamiaceae.

Habitat: Himalaya from Kashmir to Nepal, at 1,200-3,700 m.

Folk: Patkarru; Titpaati, Karanoi, Karui (Kumaon); Kaur, Kauri (Punjab).

Action: Leaves—a decoction is used as a bitter tonic and febrifuge; also as a tonic in contusions. The leaves contain betulin, beta-sitosterol, beta-amyrin, stigmasterol, cetyl alcohol, glucose, fructose, arabinose and palmitic, stearic, oleic, gallic, oxalic and tartaric acids. The leaves and stems contain the diterpenes, calyenone, precalyone and calyone, and a triterpene, moronic acid. Precalyone exhibited antitumour activity against P-388 lymphocytic leukaemia.

Aerial parts exhibited spasmolytic and CNS-depressant activity.... roylea cinerea