Helicteres isora L.Family: Malvaceae
Synonyms: Helicteres baruensis var. ovata DC., Helicteres chrysocalyx Miq. ex Mast., Helicteres grewiaefolia DC., Helicteres isora var. glabrescens Mast., Helicteres isora var. microphylla Hassk., Helicteres isora var. tomentosa Mast., Helicteres macrophylla Wight, Helicteres ovata var. fructus-regis Lam., Helicteres ovata var. isora-murri Lam., Helicteres roxburghii G. Don, Isora corylifolia Schott & Endl., Isora grewiaefolia (DC.) Schott & Endl., Ixora versicolor Hassk.
- Common name: East-Indian screw tree, Nut-leaved screw tree
- Bengali: Antamora
- Chinese: 鞭龙
- Hindi: मरोड़ फली Maror phali
- Kannada: Yedmuri
- Malayalam: Kayyunanna, Edampiri-Valampiri
- Marathi: मुरुड शेंग Murud sheng
- Oriya: Murmuria
- Sanskrit: म्रिग श्रिंग Mriga Shringa, Avartani
- Sindhi: Vurkatee
- Tamil: வலம்புரி Valampuri
- Telugu: నులితడ Nulitada
- Urdu: مروڙ پهلي Maror Phali
Description: Shrubs or small trees, up to 2(-8) m tall. Branchlets stellate puberulent. Stipules linear, 7-10 mm, caducous; petiole 0.8-2.5 cm, puberulent; leaf blade broadly oblong-obovate, or almost circular, 10-12(-23) × 7-9(-17) cm, thinly leathery, abaxially densely puberulent to tomentose with mixture of stellate and simple hairs, adaxially stellate puberulent, base rounded or obliquely cordate, margin serrate, apex ± truncate with shortly acuminate tip and usually lateral lobes. Inflorescences axillary, usually 2 or 3 per axil, densely clustered, to 2 cm. Flowers 3.5-4 cm in diam. Epicalyx lobes subulate, to 7 mm. Sepals 17-20 mm, usually 4-5-lobed, lobes triangular, ± 2-lipped, densely stellate hairy. Petals red or purple, unequal in length, upper 2 larger, 1.2-1.5 cm, obliquely falcate. Androgynophore 3-4 cm, curved at tip. Stamens 10; staminodes 5, equal to filaments in length. Ovary slightly verrucose, spirally twisted after pollination. Capsule on ca. 2.5 cm stalk, cylindric, conspicuously spirally twisted, black when mature, 4-8 × (0.5-)0.7-0.9(-1) cm, apex acute, with beak to 1 cm, densely stellate puberulent at first, glabrescent. Seeds many, to 2 mm, angular, wrinkled, tomentose. Fl. Apr-Oct, fr. Oct-Jan.
Used in Diabetes insipidus, diarrhoea and bleeding diathesis [Compendia of World’s Medicinal Flora]
Used in Ayurveda and Sidha. Stem bark in diarrhea and dysentery; bark and fruits antigalactagogue, soothing, demulcent, expectorant, useful in respiratory troubles, dysentery, diarrhea, diabetes, stomachache, scabies. Paste made of stem bark of Grewia tiliaefolia and Helicteres isora together with tuber of Amorphophallus paeoniifolius applied for bonesetting. Roots in cough and asthma; root paste warmed and applied on boils; a mixture of water extract of roots of Celastrus paniculatus, Helicteres isora, Imperata cylindrica and Rhynchosia minima given as an antidote for snake poison; root extract of Woodfordia fruticosa along with extract of Helicteres isora given as antidote in snakebite; fruits or roots of Helicteres isora, seeds of Pongamia glabra and stem bark of Tinospora cordifolia mixed and crushed into powder eaten to cure diabetes. Seed decoction or the aqueous extract of the seeds used in dysentery and stomach pains; for snakebite, drink seed infusion. Paste of dried leaves, pepper and coconut oil used in the treatment of skin ailments including eczema. Fruits aphrodisiac, astringent, stomachic, postpartum remedy, used to relieve stomach disorders and dysentery, dried fruits soaked in water and eaten; fruits soaked in boiling oil, this oil applied externally in stomach complaints of children; fruit powder in diarrhea and dysentery. Magicoreligious beliefs, twigs placed on the door of the hut of a pregnant woman to relieve the labor pains; tribal, hang a dry fruit in black thread on neck of children against pain, a fruit hung around the neck of a patient as a postpartum remedy. Ceremonial, ritual, dried fruit in marriage ceremony; contact therapy, magic, fresh fruits made into garland and tied as necklace for scabies; fruits tied to the waist of children to cure muscular pain, fever and swelling. Veterinary medicine, roots along with leaves of Phyllanthus reticulatus pounded and the extract given orally in insect bite; fruits of Gardenia latifolia along with leaves of Jasminum auriculatum, stem bark of Helicteres isora pounded and the extract given orally for tympany; roots along with those of Coccinia grandis and leaves of Jasminum auriculatum pounded and the extract given orally for tympany. [CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants]
The roots and bark are useful in colic, scabies, diabetes, diarrhoea and dysentery. The fruits are useful in colic flatulence diarrhoea, dysentery, wounds ulcers and diabetes. [Herbal Cures: Traditional Approach]
Pods and bark—antidiarrhoeal, astringent, antibilious. Bark and root—antigalactic, demulcent, expectorant (used in cough and asthma). Leaf—paste used against skin diseases. Pods—anthelmintic. Used in fever due to cold. Seeds—
aqueous extract administered in colic and dysentery. [Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary]
Used in Ayurveda and Sidha. Stem bark in diarrhea and dysentery; bark and fruits antigalactagogue, soothing, demulcent, expectorant, useful in respiratory troubles, dysentery, diarrhea, diabetes, stomachache, scabies. Paste made of stem bark of Grewia tiliaefolia and Helicteres isora together with tuber of Amorphophallus paeoniifolius applied for bonesetting. Roots in cough and asthma; root paste warmed and applied on boils; a mixture of water extract of roots of Celastrus paniculatus, Helicteres isora, Imperata cylindrica and Rhynchosia minima given as an antidote for snake poison; root extract of Woodfordia fruticosa along with extract of Helicteres isora given as antidote in snakebite; fruits or roots of Helicteres isora, seeds of Pongamia glabra and stem bark of Tinospora cordifolia mixed and crushed into powder eaten to cure diabetes. Seed decoction or the aqueous extract of the seeds used in dysentery and stomach pains; for snakebite, drink seed infusion. Paste of dried leaves, pepper and coconut oil used in the treatment of skin ailments including eczema. Fruits aphrodisiac, astringent, stomachic, postpartum remedy, used to relieve stomach disorders and dysentery, dried fruits soaked in water and eaten; fruits soaked in boiling oil, this oil applied externally in stomach complaints of children; fruit powder in diarrhea and dysentery. Magicoreligious beliefs, twigs placed on the door of the hut of a pregnant woman to relieve the labor pains; tribal, hang a dry fruit in black thread on neck of children against pain, a fruit hung around the neck of a patient as a postpartum remedy. Ceremonial, ritual, dried fruit in marriage ceremony; contact therapy, magic, fresh fruits made into garland and tied as necklace for scabies; fruits tied to the waist of children to cure muscular pain, fever and swelling. Veterinary medicine, roots along with leaves of Phyllanthus reticulatus pounded and the extract given orally in insect bite; fruits of Gardenia latifolia along with leaves of Jasminum auriculatum, stem bark of Helicteres isora pounded and the extract given orally for tympany; roots along with those of Coccinia grandis and leaves of Jasminum auriculatum pounded and the extract given orally for tympany. [CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants]
The roots and bark are useful in colic, scabies, diabetes, diarrhoea and dysentery. The fruits are useful in colic flatulence diarrhoea, dysentery, wounds ulcers and diabetes. [Herbal Cures: Traditional Approach]
Pods and bark—antidiarrhoeal, astringent, antibilious. Bark and root—antigalactic, demulcent, expectorant (used in cough and asthma). Leaf—paste used against skin diseases. Pods—anthelmintic. Used in fever due to cold. Seeds—
aqueous extract administered in colic and dysentery. [Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary]
