Pankaj Oudhia
Society for Parthenium Management (SOPAM)
28-A, Geeta Nagar, Raipur - 492001 India
pankaj.oudhia@usa.net
www.pankajoudhia.com
Copyright © 2004. All Rights Reserved. Quotation from this document should cite and acknowledge the contributor.
Scientific Name: Mallotus philippinensis Muell.
Family: Euphorbiaceae
English Name: Monkey-face Tree.
Hindi Name: Kamala, Kampillaka, Kapila, Shendri.
General Description: It is a tree found throughout tropical regions of India. Since generations, it is in use as medicinal tree in India.
Botanical Description: Tree having height up to 10 meters; Leaves articulated, alternate, rusty-tomentose, ovate or rhombic ovate; Flowers dioecious, female flowers in lax spike like terminal and axillary racemes; male flowers three together in the axils of small bracts; Capsule trigonous-globular, covered with a bright crimson layer of minute, easily detachable reddish powder.
Useful Parts: All parts.
Traditional Medicinal Uses: According to Ayurveda, leaves are bitter, cooling and appetizer. Fruit is heating, Purgative, anthelmintic, vulnerary, detergent, maturant, carminative, alexiteric and useful in treatment of bronchitis, abdominal diseases, spleen enlargement etc.
Other Uses
A source of Kamala dye which is used in colouring silk and wool.
As anti-oxidant for ghee and vegetable oils.
Oil is used as hair-fixer and added in ointment.
Seed oil is used in paints and varnishes.
Seed cake is used as manure.
Wood pulp is suitable for writing and printing paper.
Internet Resources
Medicinal herbs of Chhattisgarh, India having less known traditional uses XXVII.
Sinduri (Mallotus philippensis, family Euphorbiaceae) http://botanical.com/site/column_poudhia/190_sinduri.html
Traditional Medicinal Knowledge about common Trees in Bagbahera region, Chhattisgarh,
India http://botanical.com/site/column_poudhia/82_trees.html
Interactions with herb traders of Chhattisgarh, India, having rich traditional
medicinal knowledge about common herbs http://botanical.com/site/column_poudhia/74_dhamtari_herbmarket.html
References
Agharkar, S.P. (1991). Medicinal plants of Bombay presidency. Pbl. Scientific
Publishers, Jodhpur, India : 136-137.
Paranjpe, P. (2001). Indian medicinal plants : Forgotten Healers. Pbl. Chaukhambha
Sanskrit Pratisthan, Delhi, India : 116-117.
Sastry, C.S.T. and Kavathekar K.y. (1990). Plants for reclamation of wastelands
Pbl. CSIR, New Delhi, India.
Singh, U., Wadhwani, A.M. and Johri, B.M. (1996). Dictionary of economic plants
of India. Pbl. Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, India. :132.
Pankaj Oudhia
Society for Parthenium Management (SOPAM)
28-A, Geeta Nagar, Raipur - 492001 India
pankaj.oudhia@usa.net
www.celestine-india.com/pankajoudhia