Gurmar is a famed plant, revered for its use in
treatment of diabetes for nearly two millennia. The Hindi name Gurmar
actually means diabetes killer. It is a large climber, rooting at
nodes. Leaves are elliptic, narrow tipped, base narrow. Leaves are
smooth above, and sparsely or densely velvety beneath. Pale yellow
flowers are small, in axillary and lateral umbel like cymes. Stalk of
the umbel is long. Sepals are long, ovate, obtuse, velvety. Flowers are
pale yellow, bell-shaped. Corona is single, with 5 fleshy scales.
Medicinal uses: One of the alternative
medicines to both diabetes and obesity could be Gurmar plant
preparation, as it known to have a good effect for curbing of diabetes
by blocking sugar binding sites and hence not allowing the sugar
molecules to accumulate in the body.
Identification credit: Navendu Pāgé
Photographed in Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra & IISc campus, Bangalore.
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The flower labeled Gurmar is ...