Botanical Name

Euphorbia neriifolia L.

Family

Euphorbiaceae.

Synonyms

Elaeophorbia neriifolia (L.) A.Chev., Euphorbia edulis Lour., Euphorbia ligularia  Roxb. Ex Buch.-Ham., Tithymalus edulis (Lour.) H. Karst.

Regional Name

English : Milkhedge, Hindi : Thuhar, Sehunda, Sanskrit : Sudha, Vajradruma, Snuk, Bengali : Manasasij, Gujrati : Thor, Kantalo, Kannada : Muru Kanina Kalli, Kashmiri : Kath, Malayalam : Kalli, Kaikalli, Marathi : Nivadung, Oriya : Thor, Kantalothor, Punjabi : Thohar, Tamil : Elaikalli, PerumbuKalli, Telugu : Kadajemudu.

Description

It is a large branched, erect, glabrous, succulent, xerophytic shrub occurring wild on the rocky ground throughout central India and extensively grown as a hedge plant.Stem, green, cylindrical, showing, spiral ridge portion only, dried stem, tough with pairs of sharp stipular thorns, with hollow space in centre containing white reticulate mass, taste, acrid.

Part Used

Latex.

Phytoconstituents

Fresh latex yields 10.95% solid with 18.32% total resinous matter, and 24.50% and 16.23% of total diterpene and triterpene. It also contains triterpenoids, nerifolione, 24-methylene cycloartenol, euphol, euphorbiol, nerifoliene, hexacosonate, taraxerol, ß-amyrin among others. It also contains steroidal saponins, reducing sugar, flavonoids, phlobatannins, tannins and cardenoloids.

Ayurvedic Properties

Rasa :Katu, Tikta, Guna : Guru, Tiksna, Virya : Usna, Vipaka : Katu, Karma : Bhedana, Tiksnavirecana, Amakaphavatahara.

Ayurvedic Applications

Sotha, Gulma, Kustha, Meha, Udararoga.

Medicinal Uses

It is used in the treatment of pain, inflammation, fever, earache, joint pain, external pile mass to reduce, neuralgia, paralysis, constipation, bloating, wounds, anemia, tumors, ulcers leukoderma, piles and fistula. It is also used for the treatment of cough, asthma,bronchitis, sore throat, cleansing the abdomen in cases of poisoning and in severe constipation.