A deciduous, aromatic tree, 18-30 m in height and up to 5 m in girth, with a straight, cylindrical bole c 24 m in length. Bark light to dark grey or brown, exfoliating in large flakes; leaves lanceolate, elliptic or ovate, caudate or sharply acuminate, serrate; flowers unisexual: male inflorescences consist of dense heads or racemes, supported by large silky bracts; female heads on long peduncles, solitary, axillary; fruit heads globose, rough, woody; capsules brown, tomentose.
Herb Effects
Expectorant and carminative; prevents gastric ulcers (root extract); bitter, pungent, carminative, expectorant, stomachic, antiscorbutic and antipyretic (resin); astringent, depurative and antisyphilitic (root bark).
An essential oil (bark resin); alpha-pinene (19.8%); beta-pinene (16.0%); alpha-phellandrene (15.9%); limonene (10.9%) and beta-phellandrene (leaf)
Chemistry
of Active Ingredients
Name
CAS#
IUPAC Name
Formula
Structure
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
Limonene
9003-73-0
1-methyl-4-prop-1-en -2-yl-cyclohexene
C10H16
beta-Phellandrene
555-10-2
3-methylidene-6-prop an-2-yl-cyclohexene
C10H16
Pharmacology
Medicinal Use
Leucoderma and scabies (resin); It is useful in itching, lumbago, menorrhagia and early stages of hydrocele and also for increasing the secretion of gastric juices.
Reference
Chandel et al., Biodiversity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in India.