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Gas kela |
| Synonyms: Butea trondosa Koenig cx Roxb. | |
| Vernacular Name: Sinhala :Gas kela; Eng: Flame of the forest, Bastard teak; | |
| Description:
A medium sized deciduous tree, very conspicuous when in flower, 12-15 m
in height with gum-containing grey bark exfoliating in irregular pieces,
and somewhat crooked trunk; leaves 3-foliate, leaflets coriaceous,
obtuse, glabrous above when old, finely silky and conspicuously
reticulately veined beneath; flowers bright orange red, large, in rigid
racemes; fruits pods, thickened at the sutures,. Habitate: Throughout India, in deciduous forests in areas upto I 200 m elevation, also in open areas. |
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| Propagation: By seeds and vegetative method. | |
| Parts Used: Bark, leaves, flowers, seeds, gum. | |
| Chemical Constituents: The composition of the leaves varies with the place of origin. Analysis of the leaves from jammu: crude protein crude fibre, ether extr, N-free extr, minerals, calcium, and phosphorus. | |
| Uses: The bark is acrid, bitter, astringent, thermogenic, emollient, aphrodisiac, appestiser, digestive, constipating, anthelmintic and tonic. It is useful in vitiated conditions of pitta and kapha, anorexia, dyspepsia, diarrhoea, dysentery, harmorrhoids, intestinal worms, bone fractures, rectal diseases, dysmenorrhoea. genorrhoea, hepatopathy, ulcers, tumours, hydrocele and diabetes. The leaves are astringent, anti-inflammator, anodyne and aphrodisiac, and are useful in pimples, boils, flatulence, colic, worm infestations, inflarnmations, arthralgia and haemorrhoids. The flowers are astringent, sweet, cooling, constipating, aphrodisiac, haemostatic, diuretic, febrifuge, depurative and tonic. They are useful in vitiated conditions of pitta and kapha, diarrhoea, haemorrhoids, menorrhagia, stranguiy, fever, leprosy, skin diseases, swellings, hyperdipsia, haemoptysis, arthritis, burning sensation, bone fractures, and are very efficacious in birth control. The seeds are purgative, ophthalmic, anthelmintic, rubefacient, depurative and tonic. They are useful in herpes, skin diseases, ringworm, ophthalmopathy, epilepsy, round worm, arthritis, flatulence, constipation and diabetes. The gum known as Bengalkino or Buteakino is astringent, constipating, haemostatic, aphrodisiac, depurative and tonic, and is useful in diarrhoea, haemorrhoids, haemoptysis, haematemesis, diabetes, leprosy, skin diseases, ulcer, pharyngodyflia, general debility, hyperacidity, dyspepsia and fever. The ash of the tender branches is useful in abdominal disorders such as flatulence, colic, etc. | |
