Medicinal Plants No 23

Albizia lebbeck (Linn.) Benth. Mimosaceae (बब्बुल-कुलम्)

Eng : Siris tree Hin : Siris, Sirís (forta, FRA) Kan : Bēgemara (23€7iawo) Mal : Nenmēnivāka, Vāka (omCOM, ) San : Sirişah, Bhandi (fyria, ust) Tam: Vākai, Siridam (ours, P sub) Tel : Dirisana (2815)

Distribution: Throughout India, in moist, teak-bearing forests, also

cultivated The plant: A medium to large sized unarmed deciduous tree about 20 m

in height with an umbrella-shaped crown and grey to dark brown rough irregularly cracked bark; leaves abruptly bipinnate, main rachis with a large gland above the base and one below the uppermost pair of pinnae, pinnae 2 - 4 pairs, leaflets 5 - 9 pairs with glands between their bases, the lateral ones elliptic-oblong, the two terminal ovate-oblong, all unequal sided; flowers white, fragrant, in globose umbellate heads; fruits long, characteristic pods, bluntly pointed, thin, pale yellow, smooth, shiny, reticulately veined above the seed; seeds 4-12, pale brown, ellipsoid, oblong, compressed.

Parts used : bark, flowers, seeds

Properties and uses : The bark is astringent, bitter, acrid, sweet, mildly

thermogenic, expectorant, aphrodisiac, anti-inflammatory, anodyne, cephalic, ophthalmic, depurative, restorative and tonic. It is useful in vitiated conditions of pitta and kapha, cough and catarrh, asthma. enlarged cervical glands, ophthalmopathy, nyctalopia, strengthening gums, scrofula, skin eruptions, leprosy, leucoderma, sprains, wounds, ulcers, neuralgia, inflammations, erysipelas, diarrhoea and all types of poisoning. It is also used as a dentifrice in odontopathy. The flowers are useful in chronic cough and bronchitis. The seeds are useful in inflammations, scrofula, skin diseases, leprosy, leucoderma, chronic catarrh, seminal weakness, ophthalmopathy and poisoning.

"शिरीषो मधुपुष्पश्च वृत्तपुष्पो शुकप्रियः । भण्डी शुकाभपुष्पश्च चक्षुपुष्पो विषापहः ॥" (म.नि.) ["Sirişo madhupuspaśca vrttapuspo śukapriyah Bhandi sukabhapuspasca caksupuspo visapahah" (Ma.ni.)]

"शिरीषः सितपुष्पश्च भण्डिको मृदुपुष्पकः । शुकेष्टो बर्हिपुष्पश्च विषहन्ता सुपुष्पकः ॥ उद्दानकः शुकतरु यो लोमशपुष्पकः । कपीतनः कलिङ्गश्च श्यामळः शङ्खिनीफलः ।। मधुपुष्पस्तथा वृत्तपुष्पः सप्तदशाह्वयः । (रा.नि.) ["Sirişah sitapuspasca bhandiko mrdupuşpakaḥ Sukēsto barhipușpaśca vişahantā supuşpakaḥ Uddanakaḥ śukatarurjñeyo lomasapuspakah Kapitanaḥ kalingasca śyāma!aḥ sankhiniphalaḥ Madhupuspastatha vrttapuspan saptadasahyayan" (Ra.ni.)]

कफपित्तहरश्चैव विषव्रणविशोधनः । शीतवीर्यो विसर्पघ्नो शिरीषो मधुरो रसः ॥ (म.नि.) ["Kaphapittaharascaiva vişavraņaviaodhanah Sitaviryo visarpaghno siriso madhuro rasah" (Ma.ni.)]

"शिरीषो मधुरोऽनुष्णस्तिक्तश्च तुवरो लघुः । दोषशोषविसर्पघ्नः कासव्रणविषापहः ॥ (भा.प्र.) ("Siriso madhuro nusnastiktasca tuvaro laghuḥ Dosasosavisarpaghnah kasavranavisapahan" (Bha.pra.)]

"तिक्तोष्णो विषहा वर्ण्यस्त्रिदोषशमनो लघुः । शिरीषः कुष्ठकण्डूघ्नस्त्वग्दोषश्वासकासहा || (ध.नि.) ["Tiktoşņā vişahā varnyastridoşaśamano laghuḥ Sirisah kusthakandughnastvagdosasvāsakasaha" (Dha.ni.)]

"शिरीषो कटुकः शीतो विषवातहरः परः । पामासृक्कुष्ठकण्डूतित्वग्दोषाणां विनाशकः ॥ (रा.नि.) ["Sirişā kațukaḥ śito visavātaharaḥ paraḥ Pamasrkkusthakandutitvagdosānam vinasakah" (Ra.ni.)]

"शिरीषो मधुरोऽनुष्णः सतिक्तस्तुवरो लघुः । निहन्ति दोषवीसर्पशोफकासविषवणान् ॥” (कै.नि.) ["Siriso madhurojnuşnaḥ satiktastuvaro laghuh Nihanti dosavisarpasophakasavisavranān" (Kal.ni.)]

"शिरीषो र्शीविषस्वेदत्वग्रुक्च्छोफविसर्पनुत् । (शा.नि.) ["Sirisolrsovisasvedatvagrukcchophavisarpanut" (Sa.ni.)]'शिरीषो विषघ्नानां (च.सं.सू.२५) ("Širişo vişaghnānām" (Ca.sam.Sū.25.)]

. നെന്മേനിയിവൾക്കുളള പൂക്കളും . മലത്തിനെ നിരോധിക്കും വിഷഘ്നം ശ്ലേഷ്മവർദ്ധനം” (ഗു.പാ.) ["..........nenmeniyiva! kku!!a pūkkaļ um Malattine nirodhikkum vişaghanam slaşmavarddhanam" (Gu.pā.)]

Remarks: 'The Pharmacognosy of Ayurvedic Drugs', a Kerala university

publication, identifies this plant as Albizia marginata Merr. and says that this identification is based upon the fact that this plant is seen growing in plenty in south Kerala and being used as nenmēnivāka by the Ayurvedic practitioners. But most other Indian publications including 'The Ayurvedic Formulary of India' identifies this as A. lebbeck. This species also is abundantly available throughout Kerala. Hence, it seems that A.lebbeck is more appropriate to be used as sirīşam.