Hemidesmus indicus R.Br.
Hemidesmus indicus R.Br. belongs to Asclepiadaceae family.
The Arabic names for this herb are Hammaz Hindi, Ushbah.
The English name for this herb is Sarsaparilla.
The Urdu name for this herb is Ushbah Maghrabi.
Description
Hemidesmus indicus R.Br.. A perennial prostrate or twining shrub; rootstock woody; stems numerous, slender, terete, glabrous or pubescent, striate, thickened at the nodes. Leaves very variable, from elliptic-oblong to linear lanceolate, 5-10 cm long, but of very variable breadth (from 0.8-3.8 cm), glabrous, dark green often variegated with white above, pale and sometimes silvery white and pubescent beneath, wit|-u_ reticulate veins; petioles 3-4 mm long. Flowers crowded in subsessile cymes in the opposite axils; pedicels short, clothed with numerous ovate acute imbricating bracts. Calyx 2.5 mm, with membranous ciliolate margins. Corolla 5-6 mm long, greenish outside, purple inside; tube very short; lobes valvate, fleshy, 4 mm long, ovate-oblong, acuminate. Follicles 10-15 cm by 6 mm, cylindric, tapering to a point at the apex, straight or sometimes slightly curved, striate, glabrous. Seeds 6-8 mm long, ovate-oblong, flattened, black; silvery white, 2.5 cm long
Pharmacological Actions
The pharmacological actions of Hemidesmus indicus R.Br. are Alterative, Attenuant, Blood Purifier, Demulcent, Depurative, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Resolvent of Inflammations, Stimulant, Sudorific, Tonic.
The pharmacological actions of Hemidesmus indicus R.Br.'s Infusion (Root) are Alterative, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Tonic.
Indications
The indications of Hemidesmus indicus R.Br.'s Infusion (Root) are Fever, Loss of Appetite, Piles, Strangury, Scanty Urine, Gravel.
The indications of Hemidesmus indicus R.Br.'s Root are Ulceration, Dyspepsia, Skin Diseases, Loss of Appetite.
The indications of Hemidesmus indicus R.Br.'s Root powder are Loss of Appetite, Fever, Chronic Rheumatism, Skin Diseases, Boils, Scrofula, Rheumatic Pain, Syphilis, Thrush, Cachexia.
Contraindications
None recorded.
Temperament
The temperament of Hemidesmus indicus R.Br. is 3rd order, warm and dry.
Occurrence, Taste & Odor
Odor: The odor of Root of Hemidesmus indicus R.Br. is Aromatic,Camphoraceous.
Taste: Root: Sweet,Slightly Acrid.
Dosage
| Part | Dose | Instructions |
|---|---|---|
| Whole Herb | 5.000 – 7.000 g | N/A |
Available Brands
- SHARBAT USHBA KHASHamdard laboratories Waqf Pakistan
Compound Preparations
Hemidesmus indicus R.Br. is used in the preparation of Arq Maul Lahm Ambari Ba Nuskha Kalan, Arq Ushba, Ma'jun 'Ushba, Sherbet Ushbah.
Substitutes
The substitute of Hemidesmus indicus R.Br. is Smilax china Linn. [Other smilax species like Smilax aspera Linn., Smilax vulgaris Dcne. are also used.].
Active Constituents
The active constituents of Hemidesmus indicus R.Br. are Coumarins, Hemidesmene, Smilasperic Acid, Volatile Oil.
Antidotes
The antidote of Hemidesmus indicus R.Br. is Prunus amygdalus Batsch. (Oil).
Toxicity
Currently no Toxicity information is available for Hemidesmus indicus R.Br.. (work in progress)