Gmelina arborea is a deciduous trees that attains height up to 20 meters. The bark is grayish white colored, which exfoliates in thin flakes. The leaves are simple, opposite and heart shaped tapering towards the apex with length of 10-25 cm and breadth of 8-20 cm. The flowers are bisexual having reddish to yellow color; resemble to those of vasa flowers. The fruits are orange yellow colored oval drupes which on ripening give sweetish odor, with 1-2 seeds.
Root pieces are greyish brown and almost cylindrical with irregular surface. It is tough in bark, brittle and predominant in woody portion. The seeds are hard and have oblong surface with smooth, seed coat thin, papery oily in taste.
Gambhari is fast growing deciduous tree which is among Dashamoola group of herbs (group of ten roots). Gambhari is a known bitter tonic and its fruits as general tonic in weakness. It treats vata and pitta diseases. The roots, fruits and the leaves of Gambhari have great medicinal value therefore traditionally it was wide in use as anthelmintic, antimicrobial, anti-diabetic, anti-aging, analgesic, diuretic, hepato-protective and antiepileptic agent. The fruiting of this tree happens in May and June.
Its roots comprise yellow thick, oil, resin an alkaloid and little benzoic acid.
Fruits consist of butyric acid and tartaric acid, sugar and little tannin.
Its leaves contain luteolin, which is an antioxidant classified as a flavonoid.
Gambhari is native of Pakistan, Bhutan and India and it is globally distributed from Brazil to Indo-Malaysia. Throughout India it is distributed in Deccan Peninsula in Nilgiri, along with eastern and Western Ghats to moist deciduous forests like Himalaya. It is found in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Dehra Dun, Orissa, West Bengal, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Andaman Islands.
It also grows naturally in Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and in southern provinces of China, and has been planted widely in Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Malaysia, and on experimental basis in other countries as well.
These trees grow well in moist, fertile soil having good drainage. Its natural reproduction takes place in rainy season after the drupes fall to the ground.
Hindi / Sanskrit |
English |
||
Rasa |
Tikta, Kashaya, Madhura |
Taste |
Bitter, Astringent, Sweet |
Guna |
Guru |
Physical Property |
Heavy |
Virya |
Ushna |
Potency |
Hot |
Vipaka |
Katu |
Metabolic Property (After Digestion) |
Pungent |
It balances Vata and Pitta Doshas.
Charak Samhita |
Sushruta Samhita |
Vagbhata |
· Shothahara - Group of herbs to relieve inflammation · Dahaprasahmana - Group of herbs to relieve burning sensation · Virechanopaga - Group of herbs useful in Virechana |
· Sarivadi · Brihat Panchamula |
· Sarivadi |
The Bhavprakash nighantu with elaborated Hindi commentary by Padmashri prof. K.C. Chunekar, edited by Dr. G.S. Pandey: edition of 1998; verse 14-18, page no. - 276-278.