Baliospermum montanum, commonly known as red physic nut, wild castor, wild croton, and wild sultan seed, is a plant in the family Euphorbiaceae. Baliospermum montanum is a stout undershrub with numerous flowers.
Baliospermum montanum is a stout under-shrub 0.9-1.8m in height with herbaceous branches from the roots. Leaves are simple, sinuate-toothed, upper ones small, lower ones large and sometimes palmately 3-5 lobed. Flowers are numerous, arranged in axillary racemes with male flowers above and a few females below. Fruits are capsules, 8- 13mm long and obovoid. Seeds are ellipsoid smooth and mottled.[rx]
| Red Physic Nut Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Red Physic Nut |
| Scientific Name: | Baliospermum montanum |
| Origin | Found in Nepal, Burma, Malaya, and India |
Baliospermum montanum also known as red physic nut, wild croton, wild castor, and wild sultan seed belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family. It is a stout undershrub having numerous flowers. It is widely distributed throughout the sub-Himalayan region from Khasi Hills to Kashmir. It is common in Bihar, Peninsular, West Bengal, and Central India. In Ayurveda, roots are used as a cure for leucoderma, jaundice, and wounds. Leaves are used for the treatment of bronchitis, asthma, and abdominal tumor. Seeds act as a purgative and are helpful for gastric complaints. Stem decoction is used to provide relief from toothache. It has the majority of bioactive compounds such as carbohydrates, alkaloids, steroids, glycosides, coumarins, flavonoids, fatty acids, saponins, protein, tannins and amino acids, anthraquinones, terpenoids, and phenols.
Traditional uses
- Roots are anthelmintic, purgative, diaphoretic, diuretic, febrifuge, rubefacient, and tonic.
- It is used for constipation, dropsy, leprosy, jaundice, and skin diseases.
- Leaves are used for bronchitis and asthma.
- Oil extracted from seeds is hydragogue cathartic and apply it externally in rheumatism.
- Seeds are used as an antidote for snake bites and constipation.
- Leaves are used by tribals of Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Karimnagar district for treating asthma and headache.
- Stem decoction provides relief from toothache.
- Seeds, roots, seed oil and roots are used as a treatment for constipation, jaundice, anemia, piles, and conjunctivitis.
- Useful for calculus, abdominal pain, constipation, piles, general anasarca, scabies, helminthic infestation, and skin disorders.
- Apply the root paste to piles and painful swellings.
- Leaves provide relief from asthma and seeds are useful to cure snakebites.
- Use the bark juice to treat malarial fevers and lower swellings due to inflammation.
- Use it externally to treat burns, eczema, scabies and ringworm.
- Apply the paste of bark to cure gum swellings and sores.
- In Nepal, thin twigs are used as toothbrushes for treating toothache, swollen gums and bleeding.
- Leaves are used to treat medical conditions such as convulsions, coughs, fevers, guinea worm sores, rheumatic pains, sores, wounds, and cuts.
- Apply the root juice to pimples and boils.
- In India and Thailand, it is used to treat jaundice, dropsy, abdominal complaints, inflammation, wounds, leucoderma and anemia.
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