Family: Fabaceae
Synonym: Erythrina picta Blanco
Bengali/Vernacular name: Kanta mandar, Panya mandar.
Tribal name: Kahcchai-payn (Chak).
English name: Erythrina.
Description of the Plant: A small, soft wooded tree, with pale-grey branches, armed with numerous black prickles, bark thick, deeply cracked. Leaves trifoliolate, common petioles 5-10 cm long, terete, leaflet ovate-oblong, base broadly cuneate. Inflorescence a terminal raceme, 10-15 cm long, flowers scarlet-red, showy, mostly in groups of 3 on the rachis. Fruit a pod, 8-13 cm long, 6-8 seeded, seed black, kidney-shaped.
Plant parts Used: Leaf, bark, flower, and root.
Traditional
Uses: A fresh juice extracted from the leaves of the plant is used for
the treatment of cancer, and epilepsy.
An infusion of the bark is used in the treatment of liver ailments and to
induce sleep.
A decoction of the bark is used in treating intermittent fever.
The scraped inner bark is used as a poultice on fresh wounds.
The stem bark and root bark are mixed to make a paste that is applied to the
head to treat violent, and persistent headache.
The bruised leaves are applied locally to treat the pain of toothache.
Decoction prepared from roots and barks of the plant is used in the treatment
of beriberi.
Leaves of the plant are used for the treatment of insomnia.
Root decoction is used to treat malaria, and flu.
The bruised leaves are used for cleansing putrid ulcers.
Decoction prepared from the flowers is used to soothe coughs.
Distribution: It is found in Noakhali, Patuakhali, Comilla, Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Bhola, and Dhaka districts.
Is this plant misidentified? If yes, please tell us….
