Botanical Name: Hedychium spicatum Ham. ex Smith.

Family: Zingiberaceae

 

 Introduction:

In north Hedychium spicatum  using as Shati, but in South Kaempferia galangal is using.

Latin name: Hedychium = Hedys = sweet, chion =. snow, sweet scented snow, white flowers of this plant are fragrant; spicatum = spiked (or Curcuma zedoaria or zemburet).

 

 

Names in different Indian languages

 

English

Spiked Ginger Lily.

Hindi

Ban-haldi

Kannada

 

Malayalam

Valiya kacholam

Sanskrit

Shati

Tamil

Poolankizangu,

Kichilikizangu.

Telugu

 

Unani

Kapuurkachari

Folk

 

 

 

 

 

Synonyms

Shathi, Shati, Gandhashathi, Gandhapalaashi, Kapuurkachari, Suvrataa, Gandhaarikaa, Gandhavadhuu, Gandhamuulikaa

 Hedychium album Buch-Ham. Ex Wall.

Classification according to Charaka, Susrutha & Vagbhata

 

Charaka

 

Susrutha

 

Vagbhata

 

 

          
        

  

 

Varieties & adulterants - (CV – controversy, AD – adulterants) 

 Kaempferia galangal

 

 


Morphology

This is a perennial shrub. Tubers are thick, ‘oblong and potato-like. The tubers are scented. Dried pieces of the tubers are available in the market.

Leaves -. 30 cm. long and slightly broader flower stalk has branches and bears white flowers which have soft. cilia on them.

Ovary - round. The plant bears flowers and fruits in rainy season

 

 


Distribution & Habitat

Himalaya. Kumaon. Nepal. Bhutan

 

Chemical constituents:

 sitosterol , glucoside,, diterpene, 7-hydroxy hedychenone, cineole, gamma-terpinene, limonene, betaphellandrene, p-cymene, linalool , beta-terpineol

 

Properties:

Guna: laghu. tikshna:

Rasa: katu. tikta. kashay:

 Vipaka: katu:

Virya :ushna:

 

Karma -

carminative, spasmolytic, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antiemetic, antidiarrhoeal, analgesic, expectorant, antiasthmatic, emmenagogue, hypoglycaemic, hypotensive, antimicrobial, anthelmintic, insectrepellent

 

Srotogamitva:

Dosha: Kaphaghna. vataghna.

Dhatu: Rakta (purifier), rasa (febrifuge), meda (ligaments, fumigation in hiccups).

Mala: Purisha (ama digestive, astringent), hair (alopecia).

Organs: Very useful in cleansing the mouth.

 

 

 Indication:

Cough, asthma, dysentery, gout, burning sensation, dyspepsia, cephalgia, worm infection

 

Part used:

  rhizome

 

Dosage: 

Powder 2-4 g

Decoction 50-100 ml

 

uses:

   

External use: It is used for application in arthritis and wounds. In dental diseases, ills used for application on the teeth as a tooth powder. Shall mixed with oil is used for fumigation to remove bad odour. Its application is done on alopecia and its nasal administration is done in diseases of the head.

 

 

Internal use: Since it is an appetizer, digestive, analgesic and astringent, it is useful in anorexia, vomiting, indigestion. colic pain and diarrhoea. It is also used in cough, cold, asthma, hiccups, skin diseases, diseases of the blood and in pyrexia. Its fumigation is done in hiccups.

 

 


Important Yogas  or  Formations:

    Shatyadi churna. Shatyadi kwath.          

              

 

 

Descriptions on  Ayurveda books / Nighandu:

  

 

 

 

 

Medicinal plants of India ; Ayurveda

Encyclopedia of Indian Medicinal Plants/Herbs mainly using in Ayurveda with good quality pictures and information like therapeutic usage of Medicinal Plants, cultivation, morphology, habitat, flower characters, Chemical content, parts used, research works etc.

medicinal plants