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Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce, Mimosa cineraria, Prosopis spicata, Prosopis spicigera

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Vernacular name: State Tree of Rajasthan

English: Jand, Khejri Tree

Gujarati: Semi, Sami, Shami

Hindi: Jand, Khejri,Chhonkar, Khejada, Khejadi, Khijado, Sangri, Marwari Mewa

Kannada: Perumbai

Marathi: Shemi

Oriya: Shami

Tamil: parambai, Vanni

Telugu: Jammichettu

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Plantae – plantes, Planta, Vegetal, plants

Subkingdom: Viridiplantae

Infrakingdom: Streptophyta– land plants

Superdivision: Embryophyta

Division: Tracheophyta – vascular plants, tracheophytes

Subdivision: Spermatophytina– spermatophytes, seed plants, phanérogames

Class: Magnoliopsida

Superorder: Rosanae

Order: Fabales

Family: Fabaceae – peas, legumes

Genus: Prosopis L. – mesquite

Species: Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce – Jand, Khejri Tree – (Syn. Mimosa cineraria, Prosopis spicata, Prosopis spicigera)

Phytogeography:In dry and arid regions of North-western India (Gujarat, Punjab,Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh), and also in drier parts of Central and Southern India,extending to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Arabia.It is well adapted to the arid conditions and stands well to the adverse vagaries of climate and browsing by animals.

Plant description: Khejri Tree is a small moderate sized evergreen thorny tree, with slender branches armed with conical thorns and with light bluish-green foliage. It produces new flush leaves before summer.

Trees, 5-10 m high; bark roughwith deep fissures orcracks, greyish brown;branchlets slender,glabrous and withcurved, compressedprickles.

Leaves: Leaves 2-pinnate, 3-3.5 cm long; pinnae usually 2 pairs; leaflets subsessile, oblong, oblique at base, mucronate at apex, 0.5-1.2 × 0.3-0.5 cm; stipules foliaceous, deciduous.

Flowers: Flowers in axillary, simple or branched spikes of 6 – 10 cm long, yellow.

Fruits or seeds: Pods strap-shaped, pointed, 8 – 20 × 0.5 – 0.8 cm, turgid, pulpy, pendulous, yellow;seeds 10 – 15, oblong-suborbicular, subcompressed, wrinkled, dull brown.

Flowering season: March-June

Propagation: Seeds

Parts used: Leaves, stem, pods, flowers, inflorescence, bark

Phytochemical Constituents: 7,24-Tirucalladien-3-one; Actacosanol; Aliphatic acid; Alkaloids; Campesterol; Cholestrol; Diisopropyl-10,11-dihydroxyicosane-1,20-dioate; Diosgenin; Flavonoids; Gallic acid; Glucose; Glycosides; Heneicosanoic acid; Hentriacontane; Hexacosan-25-on-l –ol; Hydroxy-benzoic acid; Kaempferol; Luteolin; Methyl docosanoate; Methyl heptacosanoate; n-octacosyl acetate; Ombuin; Glycoside patulitrin; Patuletin; Patulitrin; Prosogerin A; Prosogerin B; Prosogerin C; Prosogerin D; Prosogerin E; Quercetin; Rhamnose; Rutin; Saponins; Sitosterol; Spicigerine; Starch; Steroids; Stigmasterol; Sucrose; Tannins; Terpenoids; Tricosan-1-ol; Triterpenoid glycoside; Vitamin K1;

Pharmacological actions: Abortifacient; Analgesic; Anthelmintic; Antibacterial; Anticancer; Anticonvulsant; Antidepressant; Antidiarrhoeal; Antihyperglycemic; Antihyperlipidemic; Anti-inflammatory;  Antileprotic; Antimicrobial; Antioxidant; Blood purifier; Bronchodilator; Detoxifier; Fodder; Laxative; Skeletal muscle relaxant; Soil fertilizer; Vasodilator; Vegetable;

Medicinal uses: Abortion; Anaemia; Asthma; Blisters; Boils; Bronchitis; Cardiopathy; Dysentery; Dyspnoea; Leprosy; Leucoderma; Miscarriage; Muscle tremors; Piles; Rheumatism; Scorpion sting; Snake bite; Toothache; Ulcers; Unwanted hair; Vertigo; Worms;

The flowers mixed with sugar are eaten by pregnant ‘Bhil’ and ‘Garasia’ ladies in the desert as a safeguard against abortion. Local Vaidyas (medicine men) prescribe the bark in rheumatism. The Bhil rub the ash of the bark over the body for removing unwanted hair. Stem-bark has anti-inflammatory and anthelminticproperties, and is also used against leprosy, dysentery, bronchitis, asthma, leucoderma, piles and rheumatism.

Other uses: Historically Khejri Tree has played a significant role in the rural economy in the northwest arid region of Indian sub-continent. This tree is a legume and it improves soil fertility. It is an important constituent of the vegetation system. Camels and goats readily browse it. In areas open to goat browsing, the young plants assume cauliflower shaped bushy appearance.

Generally, native people do not allow cutting of this tree. Theyuse it only after its natural death. Timber is used for agricultural implements. Shootsand leaves are very good fodder. Tender green pods are cooked and eaten asvegetable. Dried pods are sold in market as ‘Sangri’.

It has been used for centuries for human diet in the desert ofRajasthan, besides its use as fuel and fodder. Dry pods, also known as ‘Marwari Mewa’, reduce the craving of water in summer and are eaten by farmers in lean periods.Leaves are a nutrition and highly palatable source of fodder for major desert livestock,such as camel and cattle. Pods increase milk production in milch animals. Twigs andbranches used as fuel for cooking food and are also used as fencing material to protectfarmlands.

Native people worship the tree during marriage and use the wood for making stump (Thamla) of Mandapam.

Dosage and administration: 1 tea spoon root bark powder mixed with 100ml of goat milk is given orally to cure Whitedischarge in women.

References

Hameed M., et al., 2011, “Medicinal flora of the Cholistan desert: a review,” Pak J Bot; 43(Special Issue December 2011): 39-50. [Web Reference]

ITIS, 2017, “Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce,” Integrated Taxonomic Information System on-line database, April 4, 2017. [Web Reference]

Khandelwal P., 2017, “ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF FLAVONOIDS FROM PROSOPIS CINERARIA,” Mintage Journal of Pharmaceutical and Medical Sciences; 6(Suppl 1): 22-24. [Web Reference]

Khandelwal P., 2017, “Isolation and identification of Steroids from Different Parts of Prosopis Cineraria,” Journal of Global Pharma Technology; 9(4): 1-4. [Web Reference]

Maina V., “RAJASTHAN,” Arid Zone Regional Centre, Botanical Survey of India, Jodhpur. [Web Reference]

Mohammad I.S., Khan N.A.H.M.S. and Rasool F., 2013, “Biological potential and phytochemical evaluation of Prosopis cineraria,” World Applied Sciences Journal; 27(11): 1489-1494. [Web Reference]

Neghabi-Hajiagha M., et al., 2016, “A bioassay-guided fractionation scheme for characterization of new antibacterial compounds from Prosopis cineraria aerial parts,” Iranian journal of microbiology; 8(1): 1-7. [Web Reference]

Pareek A.K., Garg S. and Kumar M., 2015, “Prosopis cineraria: a gift of nature for pharmacy,” Int. J. Pharma Sci. Res; 6(6): 958-964. [Web Reference]

Ram S., Vats A. and Sharma A.K., 2016, “Ethno-Medicinal uses of some plants of Suratgarh Tehsil, Sriganganagar (Rajasthan),” International Journal of Applied Research; 2(4): 112-115. [Web Reference]

Ramakrishna N. and Ch Saidulu, 2014, “Medicinal plants used in reproductive problems of Kolams of Adilabad District, Andhra Pradesh,” Biolife; 2(1): 270-275. [Web Reference]

Solanki R., 2016, “In-Vitro Antileprotic Activity of Ethanolic Extracts of Mimosa Pudica L. and Prosopis Cineraria L.(Druce),” International Journal of Scientific Research; 4(12): 508-509. [Web Reference]

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