EAST HIMALAYAN BALSAM

East Himalayan Balsam is a beautiful wildflower found in the forests, thickets, grasslands in valleys, along canals and moist places, in East Himalayas, from E. Nepal to NE India, at altitudes of 1800-3200 m. It is a perennial plant, growing up to 70 cm tall. Erect stems are rigid and branched. Alternately arranged leaves, carried on 1-4 cm long stalks, are ovate or ovate-elliptic, 4-15 cm long, and 2-4.5 cm broad. Leaf margins are sharply toothed, and the tip is pointed or tapering. Flowers arise singly or doubly in leaf axils. Flower stalks are long, slender, often with 2 bracts at base. Flowers are pink or purple-red, large or medium- sized. Flowers are characterized by lower lobes of the lateral petals being divided into two. Lateral sepals are 4 – outer 2, with tip long cuspidate – inner 2, narrowly lanceshaped. Lower sepal is sac-like, narrowed into an incurved, short spur. Upper petal is circular. Lateral united petals are not clawed, 2-lobed. Basal lobes are broadly oblong; Farther lobes are shaped like the head of an axe, large, with a two parted tip. Flowering: July-October.

Medicinal uses: The flowers are used medicinally for dissolving clots, promoting diuresis, and treating abdominal pain, postpartum blood stasis, carbuncles, and difficulty in urination.

CHINESE BALSAM

Chinese Balsam is an annual herb, found in NE India, often beside ponds, streamsides, field margins and swamps, at altitudes of 100-1200 m. Plant grows up to 1-2 ft tall, with stem which erect in upper part, prostrate at the base, slender, hairless. Nodes are slightly swollen, with adventitious roots. Oppositely arranged leaves are stalkless or nearly so, narrow linear or linear-lanceshaped. Leaves are gray-green below, green on the upper side, 2-10 cm long, and only 0.5-1 cm wide, rigidly papery. Leaf margin has widely separated spiny teeth. Flowers arise either singly or 2-3 fascicled in leaf axils. Slender flower stalks are 2-4.4 cm. Flowers are large, purple-red or white. Lateral sepals are linear, 1 × 0.1 cm. Lower sepal is funnel-shaped, 1.5 cm deep, gradually narrowed into an incurved or involute, slender spur. Upper petal circular, 1 cm in diameter; lateral united petals are not clawed, 1.4-1.5 cm, 2-lobed; basal lobes nearly circular, small. Farther lobes are broadly obovate to axe-shaped, apex rounded-obtuse; auricle narrow. Stamens are 5, with linear filaments. Capsule is elliptic. Flowering: June-August.

Medicinal uses: The whole plant is used medicinally for relieving fever and pain, removing toxic materials, promoting blood circulation, treating diarrhea, curing urinary infections, and healing carbuncles. In Manipur, the plant is used externally in burns, and taken internally with milk in gonorrhea.

CHITRA

Chitra is an evergreen shrub found commonly in Garhwal and Himalayas. It grows to 4 m high and 0.5 m wide. Leaves, in tufts of 5-8, lance-like, simple spiny, toothed, leathery, stalkless, pointed, 4.9 cm long, 1.8 cm broad, deep green on the dorsal surface and light green on the ventral surface. Spines (which, in fact, are modified leaves) are three-branched and 1.5 cm long. Flowers, stalked, yellow, in simple to corymbose raceme, with 11-16 flowers per cluster. The average diameter of a fully opened flower is 12.5 mm. Six yellow sepals (3 small, 3 large), with 6 petals, yellow, 4-5 mm long.

Medicinal uses: It is one of very important medicinal plants. Almost every part of this plant has some medicinal value. A bitter tonic antiperiodic and diaphoretic An infusion is used in the treatment of malaria, eye complaints, skin diseases, menorrhagia, diarrhoea and jaundice. Berberine, universally present in rhizomes of Berberis species, has marked antibacterial effects. Since it is not appreciably absorbed by the body, it is used orally in the treatment of various enteric infections, especially bacterial dysentery.