Herb with a tuberous rhizome. Rootstock small, producing long fleshy fibrous roots terminating in oblong tubers; leaves cauline, 30-45cm, lanccolate, acute; flowers yellow, in lateral spikes; capsules ovoid, seeds small.
1-alpha-curcumene, D-camphor, alpha and beta-pinene, alpha-terpineol, zingiberol, D-borneol and a sesquiterpene alcohol (essential plant oil).
Chemistry
of Active Ingredients
Name
CAS#
IUPAC Name
Formula
Structure
D-camphor
76-22-2
1,7,7-trimethylnorbo rnan-2-one
C10H16O
alpha-Pinene
80-56-8
2,7,7-trimethylbicyc lo[3.1.1]hept-2-ene
C10H16
beta-Pinene
23089-32-9
6,6-dimethyl-2-methy lidene-norpinane
C10H16
alpha-Terpineol
10482-56-1
2-(4-methyl-1-cycloh ex-3-enyl)propan-2-o l
C10H18O
D-borneol
464-43-7
1,7,7-trimethylnorbo rnan-2-ol
C10H18O
Pharmacology
Medicinal Use
For subnormal body temperature, fever, diarrhoea and gravel (rhizome); for jaundice (tuber powder). The juice obtained by crushing the rhizome is rubbed on swellings of the body. A paste of the rhizome is bound with a cloth on fractures. The essential plant oil is used to expel intestinal worms.
Reference
Chandel et al., Biodiversity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in India.
Health Remedies 
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