Nirmali Seed
Description:
The nuts of this species of Strychnos are very largely used in some parts of India for clearing muddy water, and are stated to have found their way into American commerce. (A. J. P., 1871.) The fruit is also employed by the native practitioners of Hindostan, under the name of nirmali, as an emetic and in dysentery. They do not contain strychnine. In clearing water, one of the dried nuts is rubbed hard for a short time around the inside of the earthen water pot; on settling, the water is left pure and tasteless. The seeds contain a large quantity of an albuminous principle, upon which their virtues probably depend. The tree, which grows to a very large size, produces a shining, black, one-seeded berry (that of the nux vomica being many-seeded).
Details:
Botnical Name: Strychnos Potatorum Linn.
English Name: Clearing Nut Tree
Comman Name: Nirmali,Chilladabeeja, Chilu,Tetamkotai, Tetankotai, Tetta, Tettamaram, Tettran,Katak, Kataka, Kataka Ambuprasada
Sanskrit Name : Katakah,Katak, Kataka, Kataka ambuprasada
Kannada Name : Chilladabeeja, Chilu
MalayalamName : Tetranparal, Tetraparel
Oriya Name : Kotaku
Telugu Name : Chillachetu, Indupachettu
Latin Name : Strychnos potatorum
Tamil Name :Tettrankottai,Tetankotai, Tetta, Tettamaram, Tettran
Family: Loganiaceae (Strychnaceae)
Parts Used: Seeds, Roots and Fruits
Medicinal Uses:
- Seeds are used to purify water.
- Seeds are rich source of polysaccharide gum suitable for use in paper and textile industries.
- The fruits are emetic, diaphoretic alexiteric etc. According to Unani system of medicine, seeds are bitter, astringent to bowels, aphrodisiac, tonic, diuretic and good for liver, kidney complaints, gonorrhea.