Cassia siamea Lamk (Khee-lek)

Medicinal Plants in Thailand.

Cassia siamea Lamk.
FABACEAE
Cassod Tree, Thai Copper Pod
Thai name : Khee-lek

Tree, 10-15 m high. Leaves even-pinnate, alter­nate; leaflets oblong, about 1.5 cm wide, 4 cm long, young leaves covered with greenish brown hair. In­florescence in terminal panicle; flowers yellow. Pod flat, long and thick.

Heartwood: tranquilizer, antipyretic. Leaf: laxa­tive, diuretic. Dose: 2-3 handfuls of young leaf, boil with 1-1.5 glasses of water and a little salt, drink once a day before breakfast. Flower: antihypertensive, tranquilizer, laxative. Young leaves and wood contain anthraquinone glycosides. Extracts of young leaves and blooming flowers depress central nervous system.

TRADITIONAL USE: Heartwood;tranquilizer, antipyretic,treatment of venerveal diseases
Leaf : laxative, treatment of leucorrhea, diuretic
Flower : antihypertensive, tranquilizer

By: Medicinal Plants in Thailand
Volume 1

Schefflera leucantha Vig.(Hanumaa Prasaan Kaai)

Medicinal Plants in Thailand.


Schefflera leucantha Vig.
ARALIACEAE
Thai name : Hanumaa Prasaan Kaai

Scandent shrub, 1-4 m high. Leaves palmately compound, alternate; leaflets elliptic or lanceolate, 1.5-3 cm wide, 5-8 cm long. Inflorescence in terminal umbel; flowers white, Fruit globose drupe.

Fresh leaf: cough remedy, treatment of bloody vomit; externally used as astringent to stop bleeding. Saponin in leaf showed bronchodilating activity.

TRADITIONAL USE : Fresh leaf. Cough remedy, treatment of bloody vomit; external use to stop bleeding,astirngent


By: Medicinal Plants in Thailand
Volume 1

Solanum trilobatum Linn.(Ma Waeng Khruea)

Medicinal Plants in Thailand.


Solanum trilobatum Linn.
SOLANACEAE
Thai name : Ma Waeng Khruea

Scandent shrub; branches aculeate. Leaf simple, alternate, ovate, 4-5 cm wide, 5-8 cm long; margins lobed; prickles along the veins. Inflorescence in axillary or terminal, umbellate panicle, axillary or terminal; flowers purple. Fruit globose berry; unripe fruit green with longitudinal lines, red when ripe.

Fruit: cough remedy, expectorant, diuretic, anti­pyretic, bitter tonic; main ingredient in Ya-Prasa Ma Waeng. Dose : 4-10 fresh fruits, crush, squeeze for juice, mix with salt, frequently sip; or chew the fresh fruit and swallow only the juice.

TRADITIONAL USE: Fruit. Expectorant, antipyretic, bitter tonic


By: Medicinal Plants in Thailand
Volume 1

Thunbergia laurifolia Linn.(Raang Chuet)

Medicinal Plants in Thailand.


Thunbergia laurifolia Linn.
THUNBERGIACEAE
Thai name : Raang Chuet


Twining shrub. Leaves simple, opposite, oblong or ovate 4-7 cm wide, 8-14 cm long, slightly lobed. Inflorescence in terminal raceme; flowers bluish purple;bracts green with reddish brown blotches. Fruit capsule.

Leaf: antipyretic, detoxificant (first aid treatment for poisoning). Showed antipyretic activity in rats, and moderately effective antidote against Polidol®(aninsecticide ). however, patient must be taken to hospital immediately.

TRADITIONAL USE Leaf : antipyretic, for detoxification

By: Medicinal Plants in Thailand
Volume 1

Saccharum officinarum Linn.(Oi Daeng)

Medicinal Plants in Thailand.


Saccharum officinarum Linn.
POACEAE
Sugar Cane
Thai name : Oi Daeng

Perennial grass, 2-5 m high; culm reddish purple, glaucous, unbranched. Leaf simple, alternate, 2.5-5 cm wide, 0.5-1 m long. Inflorescence in terminal, racemose panicle; flowers white. Fruit caryopsis.

Stem: diuretic, treatment of kidney and venereal diseases; expectorant. Dose: 70-90 g of fresh stem or 30-40 g of dried stem, slice into pieces, boil, drink twice a day before meals.


TRADITIONAL USE Stem: diuretic,treatment of kidney and venereal diseases, expectorant

By: Medicinal Plants in Thailand
Volume 1

Houttuynia cordata Thunb.(Phluu Khaao)

Medicinal Plants in Thailand.


Houttuynia cordata Thunb.
SAURURACEAE
Thai name : Phluu Khaao


Erect perennial herb with deep-lying rhizome, 15-30 cm high. Leaf simple, alternate, cordate, 4-6 cm wide, 6-10 cm long; petioles long covered by leaf-sheath. Inflorescence in terminal spike, 4 involucral whitish bracts; flowers small, without petals and pedicels. Fruit obovoid capsule. Leaf : treatment of venereal diseases; externally used for skin diseases. Whole plant: diuretic, genito-urinary antiseptic.


TRADITIONAL USE Leaf : treatment of venereal diseases ; external
use for skin diseases.
Whole plant. Diuretic, genitor-urinary antiseptic.

By: Medicinal Plants in Thailand
Volume 1

Piper betle Linn.(Phluu)

Medicinal Plants in Thailand.

Piper betle Linn.
PIPERACEAE
Betel Vine
Thai name : Phluu

Woody climber with adventitious roots at swollen nodes. Leaf simple, alternate, cordate, 8-12 cm wide, 12-16 cm long, with characteristic odor and spicy taste. Inflorescence in axillary spike; flowers unisexual, white. Fruit globose berry.
Fresh leaf: antiflatulent, antimicrobial, antipruritic, topically used for urticaria ; contains eugenol, havicol; eugenol used as local anesthetic. Dose: three to four leaves, grind and mix with 28 % alcohol, apply to the affected area.

TRADITIONAL USE : Fresh leaf. Antifltulent; topicaluse for urticaria.

By: Medicinal Plants in Thailand
Volume 1

Mint (Saranae)

Medicinal Plants in Thailand.

Mentha cordifolia Opiz
LAMIACEAE
Kitchen Mint
Thai name : Saranae

Aromatic creeping herb; stems quadrangular. 10-30 cm high, brownish purple, much-branched. Leaves simple, opposite, broadly elliptic, 1.5-2.5 cm wide, 2-3 cm long, many sunken nerves on the upper surface, serrate-dentate, aromatic. Inflorescence in axillary cyme; flowers small, violet. Fruit ellipsoid nutlets.
Fresh whole plant: carminative, antiflatulent; ap­ply to temple to relieve headache; treatment of faintness, sprains.

TRADITIONAL USE Whole plant. Carminative,antiflatulent; locally apply to temple to relieve headache sprain.

By: Medicinal Plants in Thailand
Volume 1

Piper retrofractum Vahl (Dee Plee)

Medicinal Plants in Thailand.

Piper retrofractum Vahl
PIPERACEAE
Long Pepper
Thai name : Dee Plee

Climbing shrub with adventitious roots at nodes. Leaf simple, alternate, oblong-ovate, 3-5 cm wide, 7-10 cm long, dark green, glabrous. Inflorescence in axillary spike, unisexual, monoecious. Fruit globose berry, first green, during anthesis yellow and turn bright red, spicy taste.

Dried mature unripe fruit: carminative, element tonic, antidiarrheal, expectorant, oxytocic for post-labor; contains volatile oil and piperine. Methanol extract decreases small intestine spasm; petroleum ether extract induces abortion in animals. Dose: for cough; 1 handful or 10-15 fruits, decoction or a half of dried fruit grind with lime juice and salt; swab throat or sip frequently. Caution: not recommended for women during preg­nancy.

TRADITIONAL USE :
Dried mature unripe fruit : carminative, stomachic, antidiarhael, oxytocic, expectorant

By: Medicinal Plants in Thailand
Volume 1

Millingtonia hortensis Linn. f. (Peep)

Medicinal Plants in Thailand.

Millingtonia hortensis Linn. f.
BIGNONIACEAEIndian Cork Tree
Thai name : Peep

Tree, 15-25 m high, with deeply furrowed corky bark. Leaves bipinnate to tripinnate, opposite; leaflets ovate-lanceolate, 1.5-2.5 cm wide, 3-5 cm long. Inflo­rescence in terminal panicle; flowers white, long tubular, fragrant. Fruit linear capsule, compressed parallel to septum, septifragal.

Dried flower: smoke for treatment of asthma. Root: lung tonic, antiasthmatic; volatile active constitu­ent hispidulin, exhibits better bronchodilatic effect than aminophylline. No toxicity found.

TRADITIONAL USE Dried flower. Bronchodilator
Root : long tonic, Bronchodilator

By: Medicinal Plants in Thailand
Volume 1

Piper sarmentosum Roxb. (Chaa Phluu)

Medicinal Plants in Thailand.

Piper sarmentosum Roxb. ex Hunter
PIPERACEAE
Thai name : Chaa Phuu

Stoloniferous small shrub, 30-80 cm high. Leaf simple, alternate, cordate, 5-10 cm wide, 7-15 cm long. Inflorescence in axillary spike, tubular, unisexual. Fruit obovoid berry.

Whole plant: expectorant. Leaf: carminative. Whole plant extract stimulates intestinal movement and relaxes skeletal muscles.

TRADITIONAL USE : Whole plant. expectorant
Leaf : carminative

By: Medicinal Plants in Thailand
Volume 1

Lemon Grass (Takhrai)

Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf
(GRAMINEAE) Poaceae
Lemon Grass
Thai name : Takhrai

Perennial herb with erect culm, 75-120 cm high, mostly robust; rhizome aromatic; node and internode very short. Leaf simple, alternate, linear, 1-2 cm wide, 70-100 cm long; blade rough on both sides; leaf-sheath yellowish white or purplish white. Flower rare.
Lear sheath and rhizome: carminative; contains Lemon Grass oil. Dose: 40-60 g, decoction or infusion, drink 3 times daily; diuretic for dysuria patients who do not have swelling problem. Lemon Grass oil possesses antifungal and antibacterial activities.

TRADITIONAL USE
Leaf sheath and rhizome : carminative, diuretic

By: Medicinal Plants in Thailand
Volume 1

Zingiber purpureum Rosc.(Phlai)

Medicinal Plants in Thailand.

Zingiber purpureum Rosc.
(Z. cassumunar Roxb.)
ZINGIBERACEAE
Thai name : Phlai

Rhizomatous herb, 0.7-1.5 m high, characteristic odor. Leaf simple, alternate, lanceolate-oblong, 3.5-5.5 cm wide, 18-35 cm long. Inflorescence in terminal spike, from apex of the rhizome; flowers white or yellowish white. Fruit globose capsule.

Rhizome: carminative, emmenagogue, mild laxative, antidysenteric, astringent; externally used as anti-inflammatory for sprains and muscular pain, wound healing. Volatile oil from rhizome has anti-inflammatory effect; mix with alcohol as mosquito repellant. 4-(4-Hydroxy-1-butenyl) veratrole in rhizome shows bron-chodilatic activity. Powdered rhizome exhibits broncho-dilating effect in both chronic and acute asthma in children.

TRADITIONAL USE :
Rhizome:carminative, emmenagogue, mild laxative,antilysenteric,Astringent ; external use as anti-inflammatory for sprain and muscular pain, wound healing

By: Medicinal Plants in Thailand
Volume 1