kancanara shveta :

Pita-kancanara consists of dried, mature flower buds of Bauhinia racemosa Lamk. (Fam. Caesalpiniaceae), a small bushy and crooked, deciduous tree distributed throughout India, common in sub-Himalayan tract from the Ravi eastwards to Bengal, Central and South India.

Taxonomical Classification

Kingdom: Plantae - Plants
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae

VERNACULAR NAMES

English: none
Hindi: Asanta, Ashta
Urdu: Kachnal
Telugu: Ari, Are, Pacchare
Bengali: Bauraj, Sada Kanchana
Marathi: Aapataa, Ashtaa
Oriya: Kanchana
Gujarathi: Aasotaro, Asundro, Apta
Malayalam: mandaram
Kannada: Banne, Kadu manthara
Punjabi: Kosundra, Taur

Synonyms

Synonyms in Ayurveda: kancanara, ashmantak, malukpatra, yugnapatra, amlapatrak kushali, papanashak

Rasa: Kashaya Madhura
Guna: Guru Snigdha
Veerya: Sheetha
Vipaka: Maduram
Karma: Kaphapittasamaka Pittahara Vathakaphahara

PHARMACOLOGY:

IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Asmantaka Guna

Dosage:

Curna (Powder): 1 to 3 g

Morphology:

Flower buds 1.5 cm to 2.5 cm in length and 3 to 7 mm in diameter, apex acute, base tapering with attached pedicel measuring up to 2 cm in length, surface light brown to greyish brown with longitudinal fine wrinkles; fragile; calyx limb spathaceous, 5 toothed, reflexed; petals oblanceolate, as long as calyx limb; stamens 10, all perfect; odour and taste indistinct.

Histology:

Calyx- TS of sepal more or less circular in outline with 5 to 6 ridges and a central hollow core; epidermis on both surfaces with anomocytic stomata, 1 to 3 celled small covering trichomes, measuring upto 150 µ in length, present on lower surface: 4 to 5 layers of collenchyma cells present below each ridges of lower epidermis; mesophyll represented by aerenchyma; numerous vascular bundles arranged in a row in the mesophyll, vascular bundles below each ridge being larger in comparison to others; rosettes of calcium oxalate crystals present in some of the cells of aerenchyma. Corolla- Petal shows single layered epidermis followed by mesophyll composed of circular to oval parenchyma cells; a number of small vascular bundles present in a row in the mesophyll; most of the parenchyma cells adjoining vascular bundles contain yellow to yellowish orange pigments. Powder- Powder shows fragments of epidermis of petal with straight walls, epidermis of sepal with anomocytic stomata and 1 to 3 celled covering trichomes, some cells of mesophyll containing rosettes of calcium oxalate crystals, scalariform and spiral vessels with adjoining parenchyma cells containing pigments ; covering trichomes, isolated rosettes of calcium oxalate crystals ; pollen grains circular with smooth exine and entine measuring upto 100 µ in diameter and thick walled parenchymatous antheridial cells with adjoining scalariform vascular elements.

Therapeutic Uses:

Bhutavikara (Psychotic syndrome), Daha (Burning sensation), Galaganda (Goitre), Gandamala (Cervical lymphadenitis), Prameha (Metabolic disorder), RaktavikAra (Disorders of blood), Trishna (Thirst), Vidaha (Burning sensation), Vishamjvara (Intermitten fever)

Dr Mohamed Rifas

A dual country licensed Ayurveda Physician, currently working in Dubai as Head of Ayurveda and Yoga department. He also works as visiting doctor for Dr Hassan Ayurveda Brain and Spine Specialty Hospital. He is specialized in joint issues, brain and spine related issues and gastrointestinal issues with respect to anxiety.
Doctor profile: Click here