Abies webbiana Lindl.
Synonym _ A. spectabilis (D. Don)
Spach.
Pinus webbiana Wall.
Family _ Pinaceae.
Habitat _ The Himalayas from
Kashmir to Assam at altitudes of
1000 m.
English _ Indian Silver Fir, The
West-Himalayan High-Level Fir,
The East-Himalayan Fir.
Ayurvedic _ Taalisa, Taalisapatra,
Taalisha, Patraadhya, Dhaatriparni,
Dhaatripatra.
Unani _ Taalisapattar.
Siddha/Tamil _ Taalispatri.
Folk _ Badar, Chilrow, Morinda,
Raisalla, Taalispatra. (Tallispatra,
Taalispatri and Talespattre are
also equated with the leaves of
Cinnamomum tamala Nees.)
Action _ Expectorant, bronchial sedative,
decongestant, anticatarrhal,
antiseptic, carminative.
Key application _ Fir (Abies alba
Miller) needle oil—in catarrhal illness
of upper and lower respiratory
tract (internally and externally);
externally in rheumatic and neuralgic
pains. Contraindicated in
bronchial asthma and whooping
cough. (German Commission E.)
A biflavonoid, abiesin, n-triacontanol,
beta-sitosterol and betuloside are
present in the leaves.
The essential oil from leaves contains
alpha-pinene, l-limonene, deltacarene,
dipentene, l-bornyl acetate and
l-cardinene as major constituents.
Dosage _ Needles—2–4 g powder