Gaj Pipali is a large climber containing about 20-30
leaves, with each leaf about 10-15 cm wide, leathery in nature and
ovate in shape. Flowers are densely arranged in spadix, which is
cylindrical. The color of the spathe is green outside and yellow
within. Seeds are kidney shaped, 0.4-0.6 cm long and 0.3-0.4 cm wide,
smooth, shiny, greyish-brown with a dent. Gaj Pipali is native to the
Indian Subcontinent to Indo-China.
Medicinal uses: Gaj Pipali is used as an
important ingredient in many Ayurvedic formulations just on the basis
of its
traditional medicinal uses. Due to insufficient and
contradictory literature on morphology of the plant, the
identification is mistaken most of the times, quite often with
Long Pepper, which results in the adulteration
(accidental or intentional). Neither the plant nor its extract is
standardized.
Identification credit: Manoranjan Paramanik
Photographed in Purulia, West Bengal.
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The flower labeled Gaj Pipali is ...