The roots of natural herbs can be found in past societies. It involves the medicinal use of plants to improve overall health and prosperity as well as treat a variety of illnesses. Certain spices are really powerful. In actuality, a wide variety of medicinal plants can be used to cure a wide range of illnesses that are resistant to modern medical treatments. The entire plant has a stronger influence than any one of its sections when it comes to Ayurvedic medicine. Ayurvedic practitioners use a wide variety of herbs, all of which have excellent curative effects on patients. Shleshmatak Cordia dichotoma, a member of the Boraginaceae family, is one of them. It is just as good as Kaphakarak, or more effective at agitating the Kapha Dosha, as its name suggests. This is mostly used to treat wounds or ulcers, intestinal worms, fever, diarrhea, cough, and skin conditions. This herb grows widely over all of India up to an elevation of 5,000 feet, and it is most usually found in warmer regions.

Special Note About This Plant

• All the doshas can be satisfied with the aid of shleshmatak.
• The plant's leaves include B-sitosteryl, 3B-glucopyranoside, and chlorophyll.
• This is typically found in warmer climates.
• Flowers bloom in the spring, while fruits ripen towards the end of the summer.
• This herb works well for wounds, microbiological infections, skin disorders, and respiratory problems.

Systemic Classification

• Botanical Name - Cordia dichotoma
• Family - Boraginaceae
• Genus - Cordia
• Species - C. dichotoma

Synonyms

• Shleshmatak - The one skilled at strengthening the Kapha dosha.
• Bahubaar - That one is effective in reducing every illness.
• Udyalak - reduces the spread of disease.
• Shelu - For men, it is an effective rejuvenator.

Other Vernacular Names

• Hindi name - Lasoda
• Bengali name - Vahnari
• Malayalam name - Bhonkar
• Gujarati name - Vadgunda
• Tamil name - Vidi
• Farsi name - Sapistan
• English name - Sebesten

Habitat

• This tree is growing to a height of thirty to forty feet.
• Its thick, spherical stem reaches a height of 3 to 4 centimeters.
• The hue of its bark is earthy brown.
• Its leaves are one to five inches in diameter, solitary, and somewhat rounded. These have smooth, slimy veins; the immature leaflets feel hairy to the touch from the back, while the mature leaflets are slimy.
• It has slimy, marginated flowers that are tiny and white.
• When the fruit is immature, it is spherical and green in color; once ripe, it becomes pale.
• The fruit pulp is translucent, delicious, and just a little bit sticky.

Ayurvedic Properties

Effects on Doshas

• Fruit - Snigadh, Madhur, and Pichil guna balance the Pitta and Vata doshas.
• Bark - With the help of kashaya and tikta rasa, it balances Pitta and Kapha dosha.

Practical Uses

• The bark of this herb is beneficial for Kapha-pitta janya disorders, and its fruit is beneficial for vata-pitta diseases.
• This herb works well for treating wounds, poisoning, and in-ear issues.
• This plant is used to moisturize the respiratory tract, helps soothe sore throats, and is a good absorbent.
• Its fruit has aphrodisiac properties and functions as a diuretic.
• Its bark is applied topically to cure skin conditions.
• Its bark and fruit are also used to treat fevers.
• It helps in the removal of toxins when applied locally to wounds.
• Urine burning and retention can both benefit from this.
• It helps in reducing irritation or inflammation.
• It is beneficial in inducing or assisting the bowel movement.
• The bark decoction soothes severe colic and is effective in treating fever, dysentery, and dyspepsia.
• You can treat ulcers and strengthen teeth by gargling with infused bark.
• Colds and coughs can be treated with the leaf decoction.
• Its chilly efficacy can be administered externally to treat tumors and boils swiftly.
• This plant's bark can help with conditions including calculus, strangury, or catarrah.

Part used

Fruits and Bark

Dosage

• The bark decoction has a 5-to-100 ml capacity.
• You can consume up to 10–20 ml of fruit juice.