Botanical Name
Myrica esculenta Buch.- Ham. ex D. Don.,
Family
Myricaceae
Synonyms
Myrica sapida Wall.
Regional Name
English : Box Myrtle, Bay Berry, Hindi : Kayphal, Sanskrit : Mahavalkala, Urdu : Kaiphal, Punjabi : Kanphal, Kayphal, Gujrati : Kayphal, Assamese : Ajooree, Vdulbark, Bengali : Kayachhal, Katphal, Kayphal, Kannada : Kadujai, Kai, Katphala, Kirisivari, Kirishivane, Malayalam : Marut, Marathi : Kaayphal, Tamil : Marudam, Marudampatai, Telgu : Kaidaryamu.
Part Used
Stem Bark.
Description
Kaiphal is globally distributed across Indo-Malesian region. Within India, it is found in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. Kaiphal is a dioecious, evergreen, small or moderate sized tree, 3-15 m high. Fruits are A drupe, ellipsoid or ovoid, 0.7-1.0 cm long, 0.5-0.7 cm wide, dark brown, surface tubercled, very hard; taste, sourish sweet. Seed are ovoid, 0.6 cm long, 0.3 cm wide, surface very smooth, light brown; taste, oily.
Phytoconstituents
Waxy Material.
Ayurvedic Properties
Rasa : Katu, Tikta, Kasaya, Guna : Laghu, Tiksna, Vipaka : Katu, Virya : Usna, Karma : Kaphavatahara, Rucya, Dahahara, Mukharogasamaka, Dhatuvikarajit.
Ayurvedic Applications
Gulma, Meha, Jvara, Arsa, Grahani, Panduu Roga, Hrallasa, Mukha Roga, Kasa, Svasa.
Medicinal Uses
It is used in Fever, Cold, Cough, Asthma, Bronchitis as well as other lung diseases. It is used in Leucorrhea, Haemorrhage diseases. It is also used in Wounds and Ulcer.