Family Rhamnaceae.
Habitat Hills of Peninsular India, up to an altitude of 2,000 m.
Ayurvedic Rakta-Rohidaa (a name applied to several other astringent herbs).
Action Bark—bitter, astringent and deobstruent.
The leaves gave chrysophanol, physcion, musizin, lupeol, rhamnazin, rhamnocitrin, emodin, frangulin A and beta-sitosterol. A naphthaleneglucoside lactone—beta-sorigenin- 1- O-beta-D-glucoside has been isolated from the stem bark. Cynodontin, chrysophanol, physcion, musizin, lupeol, emodin, beta-syriogenin, betasitosterol and its glucoside were also isolated.
Rhaphidophora laciniata (Burm. F.) Merr.
Family Araceae.
Habitat Deccan Peninsula,
Coromandel Coast, Malabar and southwards to Sri Lanka.
Folk Ganesh-kand (Maharashtra); Aaanaiittippii (Tamil Nadu).
Action Antidote to poisonous inflictions; used against bites of poisonous raptiles.
Rheum emodi Wall. ex Meissn.
Synonym R. australe D. Don. Family Polygonaceae.
Habitat Sub-alpine Himalayas,
from Kashmir to Sikkim at altitudes
of 3,300—5,200 m.; also cultivated in Assam.
English Indian Rhubarb, Himalayan Rhubarb.
Ayurvedic Amlaparni, Pitamuuli, Gandhini Revatikaa. Revandachini (roots).
Unani Revandchini.
Siddha/Tamil Revalchinikattai, Nattirevaichini.
Action Purgative, astringent, aperient. Used for constipation
and atonic dyspepsia. Not advised for patients suffering from gout, rheumatism, epilepsy. (When given internally, the root imparts a deep tinge to the urine.)
The root gave emodin, emodin3-monomethyl ether, chrysophanol, aloe-emodin, rhein. These occur free and as quinone, anthrone or dianthrone glycosides. The astringent principle consists of gailic acid together with small amounts of tannin. The drug also contain cinnamic and rheinolic acids, volatile oil, starch and
544 Rheum nobile Hook. f. & Th.
