BOTANICAL NAME: Dioscorea bulbifera
FAMILY: Dioscoreaceae
CLASSICAL CLASSIFICATION:
ENGLISH NAME: Air potato, Potato yam
COMMON NAME:
Hindi: Suralu, Zamikand
Bengali: Banalu, Pitalu
Kannad: Heggenasu
REFERENCE: BHAVAPRAKASH SAMHITA with link e Nighantu:
https://niimh.nic.in/ebooks/e-Nighantu/bhavaprakashanighantu/?mod=read
HABITAT: A twinning perennial herb
BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION: Tubers are solitary, globose pyriform covered with long roots Leaf- alternate, broady ovate – cordate Fruit – Capsule, oblong three winged seeds – Winged at one end Useful part – Tuber – Tubers are potato like and attached to the stems. grayish in color, somewhat irregular in shape. Tubers grown underground are large in size.
AYURVEDIC CHARACTERISTICS:
| RASA | GUNA | VEERYA | VIPAKA | PRABHAVA | DOSHGHNTA |
| Madhura, katu | Laghu, snighdha | Usna | Katu | Rasayana, vrishya | Kaphavataśāmaka. |
AYURVEDIC ENERGETICS:
| TASTE | PROPERTY | POTENCY | POST DIGESTIVE EFFECT | EFFECT ACTION | DOSHA ACTION |
| Sweet
Pungent |
Light
Unctuous |
Hot | Pungent | Anti- aging, Aphrodisiac | Pacifying kapha and vata |
MAJOR CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS: Plant contains nordi-terpenesdios-bulbins, diosbulbinosides.
THERAPEUTIC USES:
- Rasayana: Powder of varahi tuber mixed with honey is suspended in milk and taken after it is eligested milk, ghee and boiled rice should be taken as diet.
- Wound: Powder or paste is applied on chronic wounds for healing.
- Piles: Dusting of powder is beneficial
INDICATIONS:
Kasa Cough, Tamak Shwas Asthma, Prameha Diabetes Mellitus, Kushta Leprosy, Krimi Roga Worm Infestation
USEFUL PART: Tuber, bulbils
DOSAGE: Leaves juice: 3-6 gm per day