Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants
Begonia malabarica
Genus: Begonia
Botanical name: Begonia malabarica
PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
Sanskrit:
Hindi:
English: Malabar Begonia
Malayalam: Kayyalappuli, janankolli, raktasuri
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Malabar Begonia is a herb with stem often 2 ft long, repeatedly dividing, with many leaves. Leaves are 2-4 inches, heart-shaped, pointed, very unequal at the base, with toothed margin. Leaf-stalks are 1-5 inches long. Stipules are 5 mm, persistent, ovate pointed, hairless. Peduncles arise in leaf axils, rarely exceeding 2-3 inches. Flowers are rose colored, not very many on a peduncle. Males flowers have 2 sepals, about 1.5 cm, round, hairless, no petals, stamens 40. Female flowers have perianth nearly as in male flowers, styles 3, each dividing into two curved and twisted branches. Capsule is 1.8 x 1.8 cm, including the wings.
The root of Malabar Begonia is used for bile, dysentery, diabetes and fecal discharges.