Medicinal plant details
Gymnema sylvestre(Retz.) R.Br. ex Sm.
(Mesasrngi)
| Common name | Mesasrngi |
| Habit | Climber |
| Habitat | Moist and dry deciduous forests, also in the plains |
| Parts used | Root |
Synonyms
| Sr. No. | Synonyms |
|---|---|
| 1 | Apocynum alterniflorum Lour. |
| 2 | Strophanthus alterniflorus Spreng. |
| 3 | Marsdenia sylvestris (Retz.) P.I.Forst. |
| 4 | Periploca sylvestris Retz. |
| 5 | Periploca tenuifolia Humb. & Bonpl. ex Schult. |
| 6 | Asclepias geminata Roxb. |
| 7 | Conocalpis umbellata Bojer ex Decne. |
| 8 | Cynanchum senegalense Sieber ex Decne. |
| 9 | Cynanchum subvolubile Schumach. & Thonn. |
| 10 | Gymnema affine Decne. |
| 11 | Gymnema alterniflorum (Lour.) Merr. |
| 12 | Gymnema formosanum Schltr. |
| 13 | Gymnema humile Decne. |
| 14 | Gymnema melicida Edgew. |
| 15 | Gymnema mkenii Harv. |
| 16 | Gymnema parvifolium Wall. |
| 17 | Gymnema rufescens Decne. |
| 18 | Gymnema subvolubile (Schumach. & Thonn.) Decne. |
| 19 | Gymnema sylvestre var. affine (Decne.) Tsiang |
| 20 | Gymnema sylvestre var. ceylanicum Hook.f. |
| 21 | Gymnema sylvestre var. chinense Benth. |
| 22 | Gymnema sylvestre var. ceylanica Hook.f. |
Taxonomical information
| Kingdom | Viridiplantae |
| Phylum | Streptophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Gentianales |
| Family | Apocynaceae |
| Genus | Gymnema |
| Species | Gymnema sylvestre (Retz.) R.Br. ex Sm. |
Vernacular names
| Sanskrit | Madhunasini, Ajasrngi |
| English | Periploca of the wood |
| Hindi | Gudmaar, Medhaa Singee |
| Kannada | Kadhasige |
| Marathi | Kaavalee, Medhaashingi |
| Malayalam | Cakkarakkolli, Madhunaashini |
| Bengali | Medhasingi |
| Tamil | Shirukurum Kaay, Shakkaraikkolli |
| Telugu | Podapatro |
| Urdu |
Morphology
It is large climbing shrub up to 8 m. Leaves are opposite-decussate, elliptic to obovate, simple, acute at apex and entire margins. Flowers are greenish-yellow in axillary umbels. Fruits are linear, paired follicle and dark green in colour. Seeds are many, obovate with brownish-white coma
Distribution
Natively found in eastern countries, and cultivated throughout India, ascending to an altitude of about 2200 m. Within India, found in marshy tracts of Kashmir, Shirmaur, Manipur, and in Naga hills. This plant is cultivated in Karnataka in peninsular India
Medicinal uses
Asthma, Cough, Pain, skin diseases, diabetes, Helminthiasis, Ulcer, Piles, heart diseases, worms in teeth, eye diseases
References
| 1 | Saneja, A., Sharma, C., Aneja, K. R., and Pahwa, R. (2010). Gymnema sylvestre (Gurmar): A review. Der Pharmacia Lettre, 2, 275-284. |