3,300—4,500 m.
English Blue Poppy.
Folk Gul-e-Nilam (Kashmir), Gudi, Kunda, Kanderi (Punjab), Kalthaari (Himachal).
Action Plant—diuretic. Root— narcotic.
In Garhwal Himalayas, the whole plant is used as a blood purifier and to reduce blood pressure. The natives apply the plant paste externally in rheumatic pains as anodyne.
Meconopsis horridula Hook, known as Tasargaun in Tibet, is used for cardiac and respiratory disorder.
Meconopsis napaulensis DC., synonym M. wallichii HK. (temperate and alpine Himalaya from Nepal to Bhutan at 2,700—5,200 m) also exhibits narcotic properties. The roots gave alkaloids— protopine, magnoflorine, cryptopine, coptisine, allocryptopine, rhoeadine, papaverrubines E and D, corysamine and 2-methyl-6-methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetra- hydro-beta-carbohine.
Medicago sativa Linn.
Family Papilionaceae; Fabaceae.
Habitat Punjab, Uttar Pradesh,
Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, as a farm crop.
English Alfalfa, Lucerne.
Ayurvedic Alfalfa, Vilaayatigawuth, Lasunghaas, Lusan.
Unani Barsem.
Action Anticholesterolemic, rich in essential enzymes, minerals and vitamins; a preventive of high blood pressure, diabetes, peptic ulcer.
Alfalfa tea is used to strengthen the digestive system. Sprouts (of seeds) are used by diabetics.
The herb contains carotinoids (including lutein), triterpene sap onins, isoflavonoids coumarins, triterpenes (including sitgmasterol, spinasterol); also cyanogenic glycosides (corresponding to less than 80 mg HCN! 100 g); pro-vitamins A, B6, B12, D, K, E and P; calcium, phosphorus, iron,
402 Melaleuca leucadendron Linn.
potassium, magnesium, choline, sodium, silicon and essential enzymes.
The seeds contain 33.2% protein and 4.4% mineral matter; saponins with the aglycones, soyasapogenol B and E and polymines, diaminopropane and norspermine. Two storage globulins, alfin and medicagin are found in the seeds.
The flowers contain flavonoids, kaempferol, quercetin, myricetin and laricytrin. The fruits contain beta amyrin alpha- and beta-spinasterol,
