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East-Indian Screw Tree
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East-Indian Screw Tree
ative Photo: Pravin Kawale
Common name: East-Indian screw tree, Nut-leaved screw tree • Assamese: আঁতমৰা aantmoraa, মৃগ শিং mriga shing • Bengali: অন্তমৰা antamora • Gujarati: આંટેડી aantedi, હાટેડી hatedi, મરડાશીંગી mardashingi • Hindi: मरोड़फली marorphali • Kachchhi: આંટેડ aanted, આંટીજો ઝાડ aantijo jhad • Kannada: ಭೂತಕರುಳು bhutakarulu, ಚುಚುಲು chuchulu, ಎಡಮುರಿ ಗಿಡ edamuri gida, ಕಾಡಕಲ್ನಾರು kadakalnaru, ಕವರ್ಗಿ kavargi, ಕೌರಿ kauri, ಮುರುಡಿ murudi, ಮುರುಗಿಕಾಯಿ ಗಿಡ murugikaayi gida, ಮುರದಾರಸಿಂಗಿ Muradaarasingi, ಮುರುದಾರಸಿಂಗಿ, Murudaarasingi • Konkani: केवन kevan • Malayalam: ഈശ്വരമൂലി eeswaramooli, രംശ്വരമുല്ല ransvaramulla, വലന്പിരി valampiri • Marathi: अटी ati, धामणी dhamani, केवण kevan, मुरडशेंग muradsheng • Nepali: कपासे kapaase, मरोर्फली marorphali, मृगसिङ्गा mrigasingaa, फार्सा phaarsaa • Odia: ମୁଡ଼୍ମୁଡ଼ି murmuri • Punjabi: ਮਰੋਡ਼ ਫਲੀ maror phali • Rajasthani: मरोड़फली marorphali • Sanskrit: अजशृङ्गी ajasrngi, आवर्तनी avartani, मृगशृङ्गी mrgasrngi, मूर्वा murva • Tamil: இடம்புரி itampuri, வலம்புரி valam-puri • Telugu: నులితడ nulitada • Tulu: ಬಲಮುರಿ balamuri • Urdu: مروڙ پهلي maror phali Source: Names of Plants in India
Botanical name: Helicteres isora     Family: Sterculiaceae (Cacao family)
East-Indian screw tree is a sub-deciduous shrub or small tree with grey coloured bark. Leaves simple, serrate margin, scabrous above and pubescent beneath. Flowers solitary or in sparse clusters, with red petals turning pale blue when old. Fruits greenish brown, beaked, cylindrical, spirally twisted on ripening. The twisted shape of the fruit is what lends most of it names like screw tree and maror phali.
Medicinal uses: The roots and stem barks are considered to be expectorant, demulcent, astringent and antiglactagogue. Bark is used in diarrhoea, dysentery, scbies, biliousness and is useful in gripping of the bowels. Root juice is used in antidiarrhoeal and antidysenteric formulations. Fried pods are given to children to kill intestinal worms.
Identification credit: Pravin Kawale Photographed in Maharashtra, Kerala & Goa.
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