vishaghni :

Alstonia venenata is an important ethnobotanical plant of the family Apocynaceae. It grows as a shrub or small tree in low to mid elevation deciduous forests of India.The bark of the plant and, sometimes, the fruit, are used for medicinal purposes.

Taxonomical Classification

Kingdom: Plantae - Plants
Class: Magnoliopsida - Dicotyledons
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Alstonia
Species: Alstonia venenata

Allied species:

Alstonia venenata R.Br., Asclepiadeae 64 1810. (Syn: Alstonia venenata var. pubescens Monach.; Blaberopus venenatus (R.Br.) A.DC.; Echites venenatus Roxb. ex A.DC.);

VERNACULAR NAMES

Sanskrit: अनादना Anadana, राज अनादना raja-adana, विषघ्नी visaghni
English: Devil Tree,Sinnappalai
Telugu: edaakula paala
Oriya: ରଣଜିତ ranajita
Tamil: சிந்நபால்லை Sinnappalai
Malayalam: Perumarunnu,Theepala,Theeppala,Palamunpala,Kuttippala,Analivegam
Kannada: adda sarpa
Munda: mangar jita •
Tulu: ಎಲ್ಯ ಪಾಲೆ elya paale

Definition

In Malayalam, the word anali refers to Pit Viper – a group of venomous snakes. So this name might have come from it.

al-STON-ee-uh -- named for Dr. C. Alston, 18th cent. Scottish Prof. of Botany at Edinburgh ... Daves Botanary

ven-en-AY-tuh -- poisoned, drugged or enchanted ... Daves Botanary

Synonyms

Synonyms in Ayurveda: vishaghni, anadana, raja-adana, ganda durva

In Malayalam, the word anali refers to Pit Viper – a group of venomous snakes. So this name might have come from it.

certain tribals in India have been using the various parts of this tree for therapeutic purposes as well as against snake bites.

Harvesting:

Flowering and fruiting: February-August

Phytochemistry:

A study about the phytochemical properties of A.venenata detected the presence of terpenoids as well as various other compounds.

Controversy:

However, in Ayurveda or in ancient literature, there are no prominent mentions about Alstonia venenata. So, even though some sources refer to its use as an anti-venom due to the presence of an alkaloid called indole, it is not common in the current system of Ayurveda.

Morphology:

Shrubs or small trees. Leaves 12-20 x 1.2-3 cm, linear-oblong, acuminate at both ends, 5 at each node, lateral nerves many, very close. Cymes terminal, to 20 cm across, corymbose. Flowers many; pedicels stout; sepals 1 mm long, ovate, acute, ciliate; corolla tube slender, hairy inside, lobes 13 mm long, oblong, acute, white. Follicle 2-angled, acute; seeds smooth.

Histology:

Microscopic features of the leaf

Midrib

The midrib has wide and short adaxial hump and

broadly hemispherical abaxial part. It is 650 µm in

vertical plane; the adaxial hump is 250 µm wide in

horizontal axis; the abaxial part is 600 µm wide. The

midrib has thin epidermal layer consisting of small

squarish thick walled cells. About three or four layers

of sub-epidermal cells are collenchymatous. Rest of

the ground tissue consists of parenchymatous, compact

cells. Wide secretary canals with uneven outline are

sparingly seen in the ground tissue. The vascular tissue

occurs in a single wide arc of bicollateral strand. It

consists of several radial parallel lines of thick walled

angular xylem elements; phloem occurs in small

clusters both on the abaxial and adaxial parts of the

xylem band.

Lamina

The leaf has even, smooth adaxial and abaxial

surfaces with prominent midrib and lateral veins. The

lamina is about 120 µm thick. The adaxial epidermis is

prominent comprising of squarish or cylindrical, thin

walled cells. The abaxial epidermis is thin with

narrowly cylindrical cells. Stomata occur on slightly

raised level of the epidermis. Mesophyll consists of

narrow zone of palisade cells and aerenchymatous

spongy parenchyma cells. The palisade cells are short,

measuring 40 - 50 µm in height; the cells are

cylindrical and less compact. The spongy parenchyma

cells are lobed and interconnected with each other with

wide air chambers. The lateral vein is prominent

projecting on the adaxial side measuring 150 µm thick.

It consists of a few vertical files of xylem elements and

a small arc of phloem; the vascular bundle is

surrounded by parenchymatous bundle sheath with

adaxial and abaxial extensions. The marginal part of

the lamina is slightly curved abaxially; the margin is

semicircular with palisade and spongy tissues. The

epidermal cells have short tubercles, especially on the

abaxial side.

Geographical distribution:

Global Distribution

Peninsular India

Indian distribution

State - Kerala, District/s: Palakkad, Idukki, Kollam, Malappuram, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Wayanad, Kozhikkode, Kannur

ECOLOGICAL ASPECT:

Moist deciduous and dry deciduous forests, often in forests clearings

Therapeutic Uses:

Roots and fruits are believed to be useful for skin diseases, leprosy, cobra and other venomous bites, epilepsy, fatigue, fever, syphilis, insanity, helminthiasis, epilepsy, as remedy for impure blood.

Research:

Pharmacognostical studies on Alstonia

venenata R. Br.-an ethnomedicinal plant

S.Sutha1

, V.Kalpana Devi2

, P.Tresina soris2

A.Maruthupandian2

and V.R. Mohan2

Use in other system of medicine:

certain tribals in India have been using the various parts of this tree for therapeutic purposes as well as against snake bites.

CONCLUSION:

Analivegam is an indigenous tree found in the deciduous forests of southern India. Its common name in English is Poison Devil Tree. This small tree is believed to have several medicinal values although a solid study is lacking.

Its scientific name is Alstonia venenata. In Malayalam, the word anali refers to Pit Viper – a group of venomous snakes. So this name might have come from it.A study about the phytochemical properties of A.venenata detected the presence of terpenoids as well as various other compounds.

KEY WORDS: vishaghni Alstonia venenata R. Br.