1. 09/30/12 Medicinal Plants Of Sri Lanka 1

2. Importance of
Medicinal Plants
The medicinal plants find application in
pharmaceutical, cosmetic, agricultural and food
industry. The use of the medicinal herbs for curing
disease has been documented in history of all
civilizations. Man in the pre-historic era was probably
not aware about the health hazards associated with
irrational therapy. With the onset of research in
medicine, it was concluded that plants contain active
principles, which are responsible, for curative action of
the herbs.

3. Let’s know about
Sri Lanka
First…….
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4. Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is an island country in the
northern Indian ocean off the southern
coast of the Indian Subcontinent in South
Asia. Known until 1972 as Ceylon, Sri
Lanka has maritime borders with India to
the northwest across the Gulf of Mannar
and Palk Strait, and the Maldives to the
southwest.
Lying within the Indomalaya ecozone, Sri
Lanka is one of the 25 biodiversity hotspots
in the world. Although the country is
relatively small in size, it has the highest
biodiversity per 10,000 square km in Asia.

5. Contents
 Bin kohomba  Ekaweriya
 Kithul
 White Sandalwood
 Aththika
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6. Bin K ohomba
 Botanical name: Munronia pinnata
 Common Name: Bin Kohomba
 Family: Meliaceae
 Habitat: shady forests
 Morphology: annual - branched, erect - running 1/2 to 1 meter
in height.
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7. Uses
 Ayurveda:cough,  Distribution: India,
stomachache & as China, Sri Lanka
ingredient in  Propagation: by seeds
‘Sudarshana Churna’,  Part used: roots &
‘Chandraprabha
watee’ leaves
 Allopathy:  Special fact: shade
Tuberculosis, malaria, loving plant
dysentry, sores  Status: Rare
 Unani: skin diseases,
fever, purification of
blood &anti-malarial
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8. K ithuL
 Botanical name: Caryota urens
 Common name: Toddy palm, Wine palm
 Family: Arecaceae
 Habitat: evergreen forests
 Morphology: 15m to 20m tall
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9. Uses
 Ayurveda: snake-bite  Distribution: Sri
poisoning and Lanka, Singapore,
rheumatic Myanmar & India
swellingsUnani: tooth  Propagation: by seeds
ailments, hair growth  Part used: leaf,
 Allopathy: gastric branches & seeds
ulcers,  Special fact:
migraine,headaches ornamental plant
 Served as kithul especially leaves
honey in Sri lankan  Status: Common
villages
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10. Aththika
• Botanical name: Ficus Gulan
• Common name: Aththika, Munivan
• Family: Moraceae
• Habitat: Deciduous
• Morphology: 18m tall, fruit bearing
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11. Uses
 Ayurveda: dysentry,  Distribution: Indian
diabetes, leprosy, subcontinent, Vietnam
asthma  Propagation: by seeds
 Allopathy:  Part used: bark,
hypoglycemic, leaves, fruits
antidiuretic,  Special fact: It has
hypolipidemic important place in all
 Unani: cough, diseases religion of India
of kidney, improve  Status: Common
skin complexion
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12. Ekaweriya
• Botanical name: Rauvolfia serpentina
• Common name: Snakeroot, Sarpagandha
• Family: Apocynaceae
• Habitat: Moist deciduous to evergreen forests
• Morphology: 60 cm high, evergreen, perennial, flowering with
eliptical leaves in the pair of three
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13. Uses
 Ayurveda: reduces  Distribution: South
blood pressure, and East Asia (from
Anti-hypertensive India to China and
 Unani: anti- Indonesia
hypertensive,  Propagation: by
hypnotic, anti-dote seeds
for venomous reptiles  Part used: roots
 Allopathy: cures
mental disordes,  Special fact: It
balancing blood saved life of Ptolemy
pressure, dysentry from poisoned arrow.
 Status: Common
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14. White San dalwood
• Botanical name: Santalum Album
• Common name: Shwet Chandana, Santal
• Family: Santalaceae
• Habitat: coastal dry forests
• Morphology: 4-9 m tall, upright & sometimes intertwined
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15. Uses
 Ayurveda: urinary  Distribution: India,
tract infections China, Sri Lanka,
(UTIs), common cold Indonesia, Malaysia
 Unani: fevers, sore  Propagation: by
mouth and throat seeds
 Allopathy:  Part used: wood,
Heatstroke, leaves
headache, Liver and  Special facts: It
gall bladder prevents growth of
problems fungus & bacteria.
 Status: Vulnerable
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16. Courtesy
• Google
• Wikipedia
• Agri blog
• Sri Lankan tourism websites
• Other Sri Lankan websites
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17. Ω SomendraV
yas ♪Ankur Shar ma
ΩHarikesh ♪Abhishek Jangid
Kumar
♪Himansh Jain
u
Ω Bakul Sharma
&
Deepak
Of Flyers 2C
(X’C)
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