KAMALA (Flower)
Kamala consists of dried flowers (devoid of stalk) of Nelumbo nucifera Gmrtn. Syn. Nelumbium speciosum Willd. (Fam. Nymphmacem); a large, aquatic herb with creeping stem, occurring throughout warmer parts of the country upto an altitude of 1000 m.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Abja, Aravinda, Padma, Kalhara, Sitopala, Pankaja
Assamese : Podum
Bengali : Padma Phool, Salaphool
English : Lotus
Gujrati : Kamal,
Hindi : Kamal, Kanwal
Kannada : Kamal, Tavare, Naidile, Tavaregedd
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Tamara, Venthamara, Chenthamara, Senthamara
Marathi : Komala
Oriya : Padma
Punjabi : Kanwal, Pamposh
Tamil : Tamarai, Thamaraipoo, Aravindan, Paduman, Kamalam, Sarojam
Telugu : Kaluva, Tamarapuvow
Urdu : Kamal
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Drug occurs as entire or pieces of flowers, comprising of calyx, corolla, androecium, gynoecium and thalamus; entire flower 10-15 cm in dia., yellowish-brown; sepals leaf-like, crimpled, 3-5 cm long, 1.3-2 cm wide, dark brown, broken pieces also occur; petals numerous, crimp led, elliptic, obtuse, membranous, finely veined, 2-4 cm long, 1.2-2 cm wide yellowish-brown; anther, erect, linear 1.4-2 cm long, extended into clavate appendages; gynoceium apocarpous; carpels many, free, embedded in a creamy, top shaped fleshy thalamus (torus) 3-5 cm long and 2.5-3 cm wide; fruit an etmrio of achenes, becoming loose in their sockets when ripe; seed hard, black, starchy and large.
b) Microscopic
Flower Petal – shows single layered epidermis on both surfaces, consisting of rectangular cells covered with striated cuticle; ground tissue consisting of polygonal, parenchymatous
cells with wide air-sacs.
Stamen Filament – filament appears circular in outline, consisting of single layered epidermis covered with striated cuticle; followed by ground tissue of oval, angular, parenchymatous cell; vascular bundle single, present in centre consisting of usual elements of xylem and phloem tissues.
Anther – shows four chambered anther, two on either sides, connected by parenchymatous cells containing vascular bundle; anther consists of a single layer of epidermis, composed of thin-walled, rectangular, parenchymatous cells followed by single layer of endothecium consisting of thin-walled, columnar, parenchymatous cells; spore sac contains yellow, spherical pollen grains with smooth exine and intine walls, measuring 50-61 n in diameter.
Powder – Dusty brown; shows fragments of vessels with spiral thickening, spherical, yellow pollen grains, measuring 50-61 n in dia. having smooth exine and intine.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 12 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 3 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 6 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 14 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
CONSTITUENTS – Alkaloid (Nelumbine).
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura, Tikta, Kasaya
Guna : Sita, Laghu
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Madhura
Karma : Kaphahara, Mutra Virajaniya, Pittahara, Santapahara, Varnya
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Aravindasava, Catura Kaval Ghrta.
THERAPEUTIC USES – Raktapitta, Visarpa, Trsna Daha, Visavikara.
DOSE – 12 -24 g. of the drug for decoction.
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