FoI
Black Oil Plant
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Black Oil Plant
ative Photo: Dinesh Valke
Common name: Black Oil Plant, Celastrus, Oriental bittersweet, Intellect tree, Staff tree • Assamese: Pokitai • Gujarati: માલકંગના Malkangana • Hindi: मालकंगनी Malkangani • Kannada: ಭವಂಗಬೀಜ Bhavanga Beeja, ಕರಿಗನ್ನೆ Kariganne, ಕರಿಗೊನ್ನೆ Karigonne, ಕೊಉಗಿಲು Kougilu, ಗಂಗುಂಗೆ Gangunge, ಗಂಗೊಂಗೆ Gangonge • Konkani: माळकांगोणी Malkangoni • Marathi: कांगुणी Kanguni, माळकांगोणी Malkangoni • Malayalam: പൊലുലവമ് Polulavam • Nepali: खुजुर Kujur • Tamil: குவரிகுண்டல் Kuvarikuntal, மண்ணைக்கட்டி Mannai-k-katti, வாலுளுவை Valuluvai • Telugu: కాసరతీగె Kasara-tige, మానెరు Maneru • Bengali: kijri, malkangani • Oriya: korsana, Pengu • Urdu: Malkanguni مالکنگني • Sanskrit: अलवण Alavan, ज्योतिषमति Jyotishmati
Botanical name: Celastrus paniculatus    Family: Celastraceae (Spike-thorn family)
Synonyms: Celastrus dependens
Black Oil Plant is an unarmed large woody climber. Alternately arranged leaves are very variable - elliptic, ovate, broadly, obovate or circular, up to 6 × 11 cm. Base is wedge-shaped, obtuse or rounded, tip is acute, acuminate or obtuse. Flowers are borne in large panicles at the end of branches. Male flowers are minute, pale green. Sepals nearly circular, toothed. Petals are oblong or obovate-oblong, entire. Female flowers having sepals, petals and disk similar to those of male flowers. Capsule round, bright yellow.
Medicinal uses: According to Ayurveda, leaves are emmenagogue whereas seeds are acrid, bitter, hot, appetizer, laxative, emetic, aphrodisiac, powerful brain tonic, cause burning sensation. Oil enriches blood and cures abdominal complains. According on Unani system of medicine, seeds are bitter, expectorant, brain and liver tonic, cure joint-pains, paralysis and weakness. Oil stomachic, tonic, good for cough and asthma; used in leprosy, cures headache and leucoderma.
Identification credit: Arvind Kadus Photographed in Maharashtra & UP.
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