Pelargonium graveolens L’Hert.
Family Geraniaceae.
Habitat Introduced into India in the Shevroy hills of Tamil Nadu;
cultivated largely in the Nilgiri and
Palni hills of Tamil Nadu.
English Geranium.
Action Oil—antifungal.
Geranium oil produced from the plant grown in the temperate region at high altitudes is rich in menthone, citroneilol, nerol and geraniol; while the oil produced from the plants grown at lower altitudes is rich in isomenthone, linalool and citronellyl formate.
Geranium oil and its constituents are reported to exhibit marginal antitumour activity.
The oil also exhibits in vitro antifungal activity.
Peltophorum pterocarpum
Backer ex K. Heyne.
Family Caesalpiniaceae.
Habitat Coastal forests of the Andaman Islands.
Pentatropis spiralis Decne. 471
English Copper Pod, Rusty Shield-Bearer.
Siddha/Tamil Ivalvagai, Perungondrai.
Action Bark—used for dysentery; also used as a constituent of gargles, tooth-powders and lotions for sores and muscular pains.
The bark contains 20.8% of a catechol type of tannin and 9.5% non-tans. The wood and leaves also contain tannin.
The pods contain bergenin which exhibits anti-inflammatory activity in carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema and is found to be equipotent to phenylbutazone.
Aqueous extract of leaves and ethanolic extract of flower exhibit antifungal activity.
Pentapetes phoenicea Linn.
Family Sterculiaceae.
Habitat A shrub cultivated as an ornamental throughout the hotter parts of India.
Ayurvedic Bandhujiva, Bandhuuka, Arkavallabha.
Folk Gul-dupahariaa.
Action Capsule—mucilaginous, used for the diseases of the bowels; a decoction is used as emollient.
